Reflections and Shadows
by twisted-sheets
Summary: Yaoi. SasuNaru. Joint fic. MPREG. Sasuke and Naruto discover the joys and consequences of intimate cuddling! After their tragic loss, Sasuke and Naruto try to put their lives back together and deal with their loss. Light lime in chap.3
1. Chapter I: 'It' Happens

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto. However, I **DO** have the same birthday as Naruto. XD I'm older though, and I'm pretty sure I'm not possessed by the Kyuubi.

**Authors' notes:** This is the joint efforts of several people–**chibionna**, **mooguriklaine**, **thirteenthspider**, **Luna Catgirl**, and of course, me, **twisted-sheets**. Be warned, people. Insanity and stuff ensues. Pairings are **NaruSasu/SasuNaru, KakaIru** and a whole lot more. It's Yaoi, and yes, there will be lemons**_. LOTS_**. I don't care if **_HATES_** lemons. I won't archive it here, though. So this is PG-13...for now. :evil grin:

Be warned for manga and series spoilers. Naruto and Sasuke are about 15 years old and of Chuunin rank. They're living together (that'll be explained in later chapters). Sasuke did leave Konoha, but he went back (details later on how). And yes, he already has Magenkyou Sharingan.

This is for...**Rach and Neko-chan**. XD

**Reflections and Shadows**

**Chapter I: 'It' Happens**

Shit happens.

That was the first of the three thoughts that came to Uzumaki Naruto's mind as soon as two or three dozen missing-nin from gods-only-knew-where village showed up from their hiding spots among the bare trees and underneath the thick snow. From then on, what had been a routine sweep of Konohakagure's outskirts turned into a potential bloody fight.

The second thought that came to him was why were the missing-nins here. There hadn't been many threats to Konohagakure for a while, the last time being ten months ago, during the Chuunin exams where he and Sasuke both passed, when an assassin squad tried to kill the Kazekage, Gaara. That had been taken care of posthaste, Gaara being who he was. Technically, that wasn't exactly a direct threat to the Konoha, but Sand was their ally, after all.

The third thought that came to Naruto's mind as he shifted his weight and pulled out a handful of kunai from his holster, was why he hadn't detected them. Some of the perks of having the Kyuubi in his body were heightened senses, including the sense of smell. So why hadn't he smelled them?

"They stayed downwind of you, dobe," Uchiha Sasuke said from behind him, breath steaming as he spoke. Sasuke crouched, shurikens grasped firmly in his pale hands, red Magenkyou Sharingan eyes flashing. "That's why you didn't detect them." The missing-nins advanced towards them, various weapons in hand, their steps muffled by the snow.

"Stop calling me dobe, bastard!" Naruto shouted as the world around them exploded in a storm of steel and jutsus. Naruto jumped into a snow-covered tree, dodging the attacks, hands flashing as he did the seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto smirked as he watched his clones leap at the missing-nins, kunai in each hand. "Take that, assholes!" he said as five missing-nins fell at the attack of his clones, staining the pristine snow red with their blood. "That's what you get for messing with the great Naruto!"

Naruto hated this, hated it when what was already an unpleasant task turns more unpleasant. Patrolling early in the morning in the dead of winter was never his favorite duty as a Chuunin, even if it meant having Sasuke to himself for a few hours before they'd split up for their respective training for the rest of the day–Sasuke with the pervert Kakashi and Naruto with the super-pervert Jiraiya.

Of course, he and Sasuke lived together; they'd see each other when the day was over, but then they'd just have enough strength to change clothes and shower, eat, crawl into bed, have sex, and fall asleep. Morning was the only time they could talk. Though most of the time it was Naruto who did the talking, sharing his thoughts and experiences with Sasuke and seeing Sasuke there, sitting, listening and occasionally sharing his own thoughts and opinions, made him absurdly happy. He didn't quite so alone as before.

This was why he hated this assignment. How was he supposed to talk to Sasuke when his ass was freezing or when his teeth was chattering from the cold?

Thoughts shifting back to the present, Naruto could see behind him, on the ground, was the blur of black and green that was Sasuke hurling shurikens and exchanging blows at the missing-nins attacking him, hitting them with deadly precision. Naruto wondered why Sasuke hadn't just toasted them with a fire jutsu–_Oh. It'll melt the snow, and then things get slippery. Slippery is bad._

"Naruto!" Sasuke's warning shout came seconds before Naruto sensed the presence behind him. Cursing himself for his inattentiveness, Naruto rounded sharply, throwing a kunai at the missing-nin leaping at him. The missing-nin fell back as the kunai hit him at the chest.

Naruto jumped to the ground, hands blurring as he performed the seal for Kage Bunshin again as missing-nins surrounded them and attacked them again. There were a half a dozen more left, and although they hadn't been that difficult to fight, they were getting tiresome. He and Sasuke may be Chuunin by rank, but not by power and experience.

"Usuratonkachi, pay attention. Stop daydreaming," Sasuke drawled at he sidled up against Naruto, their backs flush against each other. He could feel and hear Sasuke's harsh breathing, heck, he could even the see it. Naruto was panting too. _Damn!_ he thought as he warily eyed the missing-nins. _They're not going to give up!_

The missing-nins were all wearing winter camouflage, goggles on their eyes, masks over their faces. They've only exchanged blows so far–none of the missing-nins had used any ninjutsu or genjustsu yet, which was odd. _Really_ odd.

"The first attack was to tire us," Sasuke said. "They're going to use jutsus now."

No sooner had Sasuke spoken that a missing-nin's hand flashed, and what appeared to be a huge wall of water came rushing at them.

Naruto and Sasuke leapt to the safety of the branches as the wall of water crashed down and drenched the snow-covered ground.

Naruto inwardly shuddered. Then his eyes flashed. "Heh. Is that all you have?" Naruto pulled out some shurikens, and gathered his chakra. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" His clones appeared again. Then, smirking, he shouted, "Naruto Ninpocho; Shihou Hapou Shuriken no Maki!"

His clones leapt into the air, showering the missing-nins with a rain of shuriken. He was about to gloat when out of the corner of his eye, Naruto saw one of the missing-nins on a branch, hands forming a series of seals he hadn't seen before. Naruto didn't hear the name of the jutsu, because it was lost in the loud roar of chakra gathering. Stunned, Naruto could only stand there and stare as a huge ball of blue fire headed towards him with incredible speed.

Before he could do anything, a blur of black and green appeared before him, just as the ball of blue fire blazed at him, its brightness making him close his eyes. He could feel the fire's heat surrounding him–rather than going through him–seconds before it dissipated. Dazed, he gazed through half-lidded eyes.

Sasuke stood in front of him, crouching, bruises and burns on his body. Tendrils of smoke rose from him, the smell of singed flesh, clothes, and plant strong in the air. "Moron," he said, turning to him.

Naruto's eyes flew open in shock. He froze as he watched Sasuke topple over. Then, blood roaring in his ears, he moved to catch his falling comrade.

_**"SASUKE!" **_

**::T.B.C.::**

**Author's note:** So, did you like it? Were they OOC? More about Naruto and Sasuke's relationship next chapter. I hoped you enjoyed this one. And if you're wondering who the hell those missing-nins are or why they're there, you'll find out next chapter. You'll see the other people from Naruto too. You'll be in for a lot of surprises. I'm sorry if Sasuke-kun's presence was small. This chapter is sort of Naruto's point of view.

**Sasuke and the Sharingan:** If you're wondering why Sasuke isn't using any fancy Sharingan moves, that's kinda hard to use with multiple enemies. So far, I've seen the Sharingan used at a singular enemy. If I'm wrong on this, you can tell me.

**Next chapter:** What happens to Sasuke-kun? Naruto comes up with a plan. A very, very interesting plan.

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter II: Good Ideas

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, I wouldn't be writing this, and Sasuke and Naruto would still be together.

**Authors' notes:** This fanfiction is the joint efforts of several people–**chibi-onna1**, **mooguri klaine**, **thirteenth-spider**, **Luna Catgirl**, and of course, me, **twisted-sheets**. They're the best, and I love them...not THAT way, though. I hope you like the story so far.

**Pairings:** It's **NaruSasu/SasuNaru**. And no, not everyone is gay in this fanfiction. XD

**Special thanks to: _RuByMoOn17: _**_Our first reviewer, yay! Here's the update!_

_**Cfox:** Thank you. I think we'll put it up in or we'll put it up in my website. I'll just put the link!_

_**Thirteenth-Spider:** Thank–whe? Wait! What are you doing here? Oo :huggles Thirteenth:_

_**Otaku12:** Thank you. And here's the next chapter!_

_**Chibi-onna1:** Gomen! I hope this is right. Silly Yeah, I misspelled Mangekyou and such. Hit me!_

_**Yuen-chan:** Hello! Well, here is the update!_

_**Mooguri klaine: **Did you have to tell the world my name? XD Anyway, pitch in anytime you like. You know my e-mail dear!_

This is for...**Ryan, **one of my little devils, and **Ellaine**, my 'assistant'. :grin: XD

**Chapter II: Good Ideas**

Naruto remembered little of what happened after he caught Sasuke.

Everything was a blur. Later, they told him he had demolished nearly one-fourth of the forest. Naruto did not remember what jutsu he had used. He didn't care. All he cared about was getting Sasuke to the hospital as soon as possible.

Channeling as much of the Kyuubi's chakra as he dared, Naruto, with Sasuke in his arms, raced to the hospital in supersonic speeds, breezing through the forest. He arrived minutes later, bursting through the emergency room.

His memories of what took place in the hospital were blurry. He recalled talking–no, shouting–at the nurses and doctors to treat Sasuke _immediately_, even going as far as to threaten great bodily harm at everyone if Sasuke wasn't given medical attention. Then, Tsunade appeared out of nowhere, issuing brisk commands. He remembered Tsunade talking to him in a gentle, soothing voice, then touching his forehead. After that, he knew no more.

* * *

Naruto woke up to find Shizune hovering close to him. Her anxious face brightened when she saw Naruto's eyes open. "Naruto-kun! Are you all right?"

Naruto blinked and looked around. Judging from the whitewashed walls and curtains and the antiseptic scent in the air, he was in the hospital. He glanced back at Shizune. _Why am I–_ Then he bolted upright. "_Sasuke!_ Where the hell is Sasuke? Is he okay?" he demanded. "Is he–" _dead?_

Shizune smiled at him. "Sasuke-kun is okay, Naruto-kun. Tsunade-sama healed him. However, he's still...unconscious."

Naruto didn't speak for a moment. He took a deep breath, trying to calm down his rapidly beating heart. Relief flooded his body. _Sasuke's alive! He's okay!_ He'd been so afraid that Sasuke would die. _It's my fault he's been hurt!_ He clenched his hands into tight fists, scrunching up his blankets. He closed his eyes, holding back his tears. He lowered his head so that his face was hidden in the shadows.

Then he flung his blankets away and got off the bed, stretching to get the kinks out. "What room is Sasuke in? Is it okay to visit?" he asked Shizune.

Shizune nodded. "He's in Room 234. I'll call the nurses and doctors to let you in. Tsunade-sama had left strict orders that Sasuke-kun should not be disturbed." She watched with wary eyes as Naruto went to the bathroom to change clothes. When he emerged in this Chuunin uniform, Shizune asked in a concerned voice, "Are you okay, Naruto?"

Naruto smiled at Shizune. "I'm okay, Neechan." He waved at her. "Thanks for everything. I'll see Tsunade-baba and you later. I'm going to visit Sasuke first." He then left the room.

* * *

The walk towards Sasuke's room was a short one, but for Naruto, it was an eternity. Hands in his pockets, he stared ahead, ignoring some of the looks people were giving him.

When he reached Sasuke's room, he stopped for a moment, staring at the door. _Should I visit him?_ Naruto thought. _It's my fault he was in there in the first place. But I really want to see Sasuke._

Naruto struggled with himself for a few minutes, but eventually, Naruto opened the door and entered Sasuke's room. He slowly approached Sasuke's bed and braced himself.

Sasuke wasn't wearing bandages and his pale skin was unmarred by bruises or burns. Tsunade had done a good job in healing Sasuke. Looking at the Uchiha, one would think he was just sleeping. Naruto gently touched Sasuke's cheek. "Bastard," he whispered fiercely. "Why did you have to jump in and save me? Always playing the big hero. Stupid Sasuke." Hot, wet tears slid down his cheeks, falling on Sasuke's arm.

He took Sasuke's hand, entwining his fingers with his. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. It's my fault! I'm sorry I was stupid. Please don't hate me when you wake up. Please don't leave me."

Naruto stayed like that for a long time, simply holding Sasuke's hand in silence. It wasn't until the doctor came in and told him they had to give Sasuke a check-up did Naruto leave Sasuke's side. "I'll be back, Sasuke. Promise."

As he stepped out into the hall, he could hear the whispers.

"Is that the Uchiha's lover? I don't see how the Uchiha could stand that monster."

"I heard the Uchiha's in the hospital because of that...thing. Bad luck, that boy."

"–because of him, the Uchiha line will die out. So much for the revival of the Uchiha clan. Their ancestors must be turning in their graves–"

Naruto clenched his fists, and almost shouted out obscenities. Then his shoulder's drooped. _What they're saying...it's true...I'm–_

"Don't listen to them. They're fools," a familiar voice said from behind him.

Naruto turned to the voice's owner. "Neji? What are you doing here?"

Hyuuga Neji gave Naruto a faint smile. The Hyuuga was wearing casual clothes consisting of a white turtleneck and a pair of black pants. Like Naruto and Sasuke, he was a Chuunin, having passed the exams two years ago. "I saw you walking down the hall," he replied.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't explain why you're in the hospital. Are you here to visit Sasuke?" he asked, then clamped his mouth shut when he saw Neji's face darken at the mention of Sasuke. _Oh_. Naruto had almost forgotten.

Since Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru, Neji, along with many of Naruto's friends, except Sakura and Ino, had treated the Uchiha's name as one would treat poison. Even after Naruto had dragged Sasuke back a year later and Sasuke had renewed his loyalty to Konoha, Neji and the others had continued to treat Sasuke coldly. Naruto suspected the only reason they were remotely civil to Sasuke was because of Naruto.

"Actually," Neji said after a few second of awkward silence, "I accompanied Hinata-sama for her yearly check-up."

Naruto frowned. "Neji, Hinata's been your wife for a year. You two have a son. Why do you keep on calling her 'Hinata-sama'?"

Naruto's eyes had nearly popped out of its sockets when he had first heard that Neji and his cousin Hinata were getting married. Hinata had only been fourteen, Neji a year older. The marriage had been brokered for political and 'bloodline' reasons, but Naruto still thought the two were too young to get married. He had said as much to Jiraiya, who had only shrugged and replied, "Shinobi tend to marry young or late. Marrying young is the best way to ensure the survival and health of the clan. The earlier they get started, the better."

A few months ago, Hinata had given birth to a son named Hiroshi, the next Hyuuga heir. Naruto remembered with a smile how Hinata and Neji looked the day they showed off their son. The two were positively glowing with pride and happiness, making Naruto a little envious.

"Hinata-sama may be my wife, but I am still a member of the Branch house. That has not changed." Neji's eyes bored into Naruto's.

He grinned at Neji. "Don't worry, Neji. When I become Hokage, we'll fix that."

Neji just gave Naruto another small smile–or at least that was what it looked like to Naruto. "So, how is Hinata and your son? The little guy looks a lot like you."

"My son is well. Hinata-sama is with child again," Neji replied calmly.

Naruto's eyes widened with Neji's announcement. "What?" He elbowed Neji at the ribs. "I didn't know you were such a stud, Neji-white-eyes!"

"Naruto," Neji said in a wary voice. Naruto just laughed at him. "So what will it be this time? A girl?"

"Hinata-sama hopes it will be a girl." Despite the lack of emotion in Neji's voice, Naruto could tell Neji was excited at the prospect of another child.

"It's going to be a girl," Naruto declared. "She's going to look like Hinata."

"We can hope."

There was another silence. Then, Naruto said in a quiet voice, "What they said was true, Neji. I can't give Sasuke an heir; he always said he'll revive his clan. It's my fault he nearly died. He jumped in front of me to save me."

Neji looked at him for a moment. He knew what happened from Shikamaru, who had overheard a conversation between the Hokage and Jiraiya. "Naruto, it's not your fault the Uchi–Sasuke was hurt." When Naruto opened his mouth to counter Neji, the Hyuuga added, "He moved on his own will, to save you. He made that choice."

Naruto said nothing, but Neji could tell the blond was still brooding about it. "As for you not being able to give him an heir, you have given something worth much more."

"Oh? What's that?"

"His life, for one, as well as your heart. Isn't that more precious than anything else?"

Naruto looked at Neji, incredulous. "Neji, is that really you? Do you realize you're giving me love advice on Sasuke? Are you sick or something?" He put the back of his hand on Neji's forehead.

"Naruto." Neji looked solemn. "I'm serious."

Naruto just smiled at him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for being a great friend." He patted him on the shoulder. "Well, congratulations, and give my regards to Hinata. I'll drop by soon and play with your kid. Right now, I should get something to eat. See ya!" Waving at Neji, he left.

Neji stared at Naruto's retreating back for a few seconds. He hoped what he said helped Naruto, but from the looks of things, he hadn't done much.

Why couldn't Naruto see how 'worthy' he was? Neji silently cursed all the people who had put down his friend. In his opinion, the Uchiha has yet to prove his _worth_ to Naruto.

He'd seen the two together, sometimes even worked with them. He often wondered why Naruto was so...attached to Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't changed much from the cold bastard that he was when they were twelve, yet, when he was there, Neji could see Naruto's face brightening, as if the Uchiha's mere presence was enough. It was something Neji missed in the year that Sasuke had left Konoha. When Sasuke had left, it seemed like some of part of Naruto had gone as well.

Neji shrugged. Well, he had done what he could. It was up to Naruto now, and most of all, Sasuke. Neji made a mental note to have a conversation with a certain Uchiha quite soon.

* * *

Though Naruto said he was going to get something to eat, he didn't go to Ichiraku's. Instead, he went to the swing. As he swung back and forth, he thought about what Neji said, and what he'd heard.

Once, he had asked Sasuke if it bothered him that he and Naruto were lovers. Sasuke just gave him a strange look and said nothing. Naruto didn't ask him any more questions about their relationship after that. Back then, he hadn't thought much about it; Sasuke had always been...reticent, but looking back now, he wondered what Sasuke's answer was.

_It's my fault Sasuke was hurt. I hurt Sasuke. I'm keeping Sasuke from completing his goals. Maybe it would be better if_, Naruto paused for a moment, aware of where his thoughts were taking him, _I would just leave him. _

**T.B.C**.

**Author's notes, part 2:** Well, how did you find it? I hope they weren't OOC or anything.

**Babies and Marriages:** Ack! They're really starting early. XD Well, Jiraiya's explanation probably sums it all up. The earlier, the better. Well, what else is left to do after training and all? XD These guys are shinobi, and shinobis have rather short lifetimes (I wonder why?). The earlier they start on procreation, the better chances that their bloodline will continue. Young people, in the right conditions, produce healthier offspring, and have a quicker rate of recovering from birth. By the way, I'm not advocating teen pregnancy here. It's just that the circumstances in Naruto's world are different from ours. XD

**Neji and Naruto:** I feel those two would make such great friends. Neji has this big brother vibe about him. I hope I hadn't made Neji OOC here.

**Next chapter:** Will Naruto really leave Sasuke? And will Sasuke wake up (damn, is it just me, or is that guy always sleeping or comatose)? And oh yeah, lemon/lime alert. XD

**Chibi-onna1, Thirteenth-spider, Mooguri Klaine, and Luna Catgirl:** Lemon? The heck? Who's writing that?

**Twisted-sheets:** Any volunteers? XD

**Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter III: Conversations

**Disclaimer:** Naruto loves Sasuke. But I don't own Naruto.

**Authors' notes:** Sorry it took so long to update. Unbeta'd version, will replace if needed. XD

**Warnings:** very light lime. Want to see the lemon version? Go to my profile page.

**The lime:** I actually had a harder time writing the lime version than the lemon version because the sex was a big part of the plot. I couldn't entirely delete the lovey-dovey parts…so please go to the link to read it, because you might not understand what would be happening next if you don't!

**Special thanks to: _Luna Catgirl: _**_I'm soooo sorry! I've uploaded the page before I saw your review! :grovels: Forgive me! Well, here's the lime. XD And thanks. _

_**Gi wo mite sezaru wa ya n:** I know what you feel. And I agree with you._

_**Ghostninja85:** Thank you! I hope that we won't have updating problems. There are a lot of us, after all. I've supplied the link for the lemon in my profile. _

_**Me:** Thank you. I was really worried that they were OOC. _

_**Eyes0nme19:** Thank you. Here's the continuation._

_**Karone Richardson:** Well, let's wait and see, shall we? I was really worried about Neji being OOC._

_**Inu-chan 613:** Thank you. All I can say is, things will be quite interesting for the two of them :wink:_

_**Yuen-chan:** Here's the continuation! :wheee!:_

_**Danrad-11:** Okay, I didn't check out your fics. You're in the dedication now!_

_**Loki Everhate:** Thank you very much for reading! :huggles: Labs kita! But not that way!_

This is for…**Boom-boom** and **all the TD's out there. **You know** who **you are XD

**Chapter III: Conversations **

Shikamaru glared at the young woman in front of him. "Why do I have to go there?"

Ino glared back at him. "And why not?"

_The Uchiha and I are not exactly friends_, Shikamaru thought, but he knew Ino wouldn't like his reason, so he said, "It's troublesome." Besides, he was freezing his ass off in this weather. Konoha had always enjoyed warm winters, but the one they're having right now broke all sorts of records, not the least was being the coldest one in the last twenty years.

"Troublesome?" Ino cried out, putting her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed. "Nara Shikamaru! Everything's troublesome for you–your missions, your paperwork, our wedding, and now, visiting Sasuke-kun! The few times you don't find bothersome are when you watch clouds or when we have s–"

"Fine, fine!" Shikamaru cut in, a faint blush on his cheeks. Geez, Ino could be loud when she wanted to be. "I'm going, I'm going!" Shoving his hands into his pockets, he wondered for the umpteenth time why he bothered arguing with Ino. He always lost, anyway.

"Besides, you should be grateful to Sasuke-kun," Ino told him.

Shikamaru looked at Ino with disbelief. Grateful? To the Uchiha? To the man who nearly got him, his best friend, and his team killed on his first mission as a chuunin captain? To the one who betrayed Konoha and his friends for the sake of power and revenge?

Ino punched his shoulder. "Don't look like that. If it hadn't been for that mission, I would have never realized–" Ino stopped, then she blushed.

"Eh?" Shikamaru gave Ino an annoyed glance. _Women are troublesome_. He wondered what insanity possessed him to hitch himself with Ino.

"Anyway," Ino chatted on, "you _should_ be grateful to Sasuke-kun. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have gotten together in the first place."

Shikamaru nearly choked on that, but wisely kept his mouth shut.

"So, tell me what happened to Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun in the forest. Who attacked them?"

Shikamaru scratched his head. "We're still investigating. Why do you want to know? It's too trouble–"

"–some. I know. Just tell me, Shikamaru." Ino gave him a small, teasing smile with just the small hint of seduction in her voice. "Maybe I'll do something nice for you."

Shikamaru looked away as another blush formed on his cheeks. "Fine. Naruto and the Uchiha were attacked by several missing nins from various villages. During the fight, Naruto was almost hit by a jutsu, but Sasuke got in front of him and took the hit." He shook his head. It still amazed him that someone like Sasuke, who could be so _selfish_, could be as _selfless_ as to give his own life for Naruto.

Maybe he shouldn't really wonder about that. Naruto had a strange effect on the Uchiha. Heck, Naruto had a strange effect on _everyone_. Shikamaru had been around Naruto long enough to know that.

Shikamaru didn't like the Uchiha. In most cases, he really wouldn't care about such things–it was too troublesome, but he had been very involved in this matter. He felt Sasuke had been forgiven too easily for his betrayal. The only reason he was civil to him was because of Naruto.

Even now, he didn't know what Naruto had done or said to get Sasuke to return to Konoha. Kiba had tried to ask once, a week or so after Sasuke returned, while they were eating at Ichiraku's. Naruto only grinned and said it was his overwhelming charm that brought Sasuke back. The rest, Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Lee, had raised eyebrows at his answer, and would have said more had not the devil himself, Sasuke, arrived.

Everyone was silent. It wasn't just because Sasuke appeared. When he had returned after being with Orochimaru for a year, Sasuke had, and still has, a quiet, lethal aura about him, like he could kill someone by simply looking at the person. They didn't have to worry. The Uchiha never spared them a glance; he went straight to Naruto, made some imperceptible gestures, turned his back, then left without so much as a word. Naruto then stood up, laid a few bills, waved at them, then followed Sasuke into the night, leaving a half-empty bowl of ramen.

The next day, they heard that Sasuke had moved in with Naruto. The Godaime's orders, Shikamaru knew, but sometimes, he wondered.

"Shikamaru!" Ino cried, bring Shikamaru back to the present. She waved the mixed bouquet of greenhouse flowers in front of him. "You're daydreaming again. About me, I hope." Looping her arm around his, she dragged him towards the hospital.

* * *

To say that Sakura was surprised to see Naruto at her doorstep was an understatement. For several moments, all the two could do was stare at each other. Of late, Naruto had been a frequent visitor at Sakura's house, but usually, Naruto wore a smile when he comes by, not this melancholy look she was seeing now. Finally, Sakura spoke. "Naruto. Come in." She saw him hesitate for a few moments, twiddling with his thumbs, as if he hadn't really meant to be here. She smiled at him and said, "Come on, Naruto. Get inside before you freeze out here."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Naruto went inside, mumbling a brief, "Thanks, Sakura-chan." Sakura watched Naruto with worried eyes. She was not used to seeing Naruto so…depressed. Naruto's shoulders were bowed, face hidden by dark shadows. Where was her smiling teammate?

She and Naruto had gotten close in the year that Sasuke left. He and Lee had helped her cope with Sasuke's loss, kept her from being too downhearted. Though she learned that Naruto wasn't always happy, his seeming depression bothered her.

When they were sitting in the living room, Sakura asked, "How is Sasuke-kun? Lee and I are going to visit him today." She frowned when Naruto started at the mention of Sasuke. _Has something bad happened to Sasuke-kun?_ Sakura wondered to herself. _Is that why Naruto's here?_ "Naruto? Is something wrong?"

Naruto's face snapped up, and he smiled at her. "No, nothing's wrong, Sakura-chan. I just…came here to tell you that Sasuke's all right. All he needs to do is wake up, that bastard."

Sakura caught the fake smile, but chose not to comment about it. "That's great news! We were going to visit today. I'm just waiting for Lee." She smiled.

"So, uh, how are you and Lee?" Naruto asked.

Sakura's smile widened. "Oh, we're doing well. I think he plans on proposing. I think Shikamaru and Ino-pig's upcoming wedding did something to him."

Naruto's eyes went wide, and then he let out a short laugh. "Is everyone getting married?"

Sakura laughed. "I know we're all still young, but you know the way things are with shinobi."

"Ero-sennin gave me a lecture about that when Hinata got married. And hey, Hinata's pregnant again."

Sakura let out an excited whoop. "I hope it's a girl. Hinata would like a girl."

"I said the same thing to Neji." At the mention of Neji, Naruto's laughter died down.

This time, Sakura didn't let that slide. "All right, Naruto. What's wrong?" She let a little bit of Inner Sakura slip into her voice. "And don't you dare say 'Nothing's wrong, because there is."

Naruto started. He knew that when Sakura sounded like this, he was in big trouble. "Sakura-chan…"

"Are you blaming yourself for what happened to Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked gently. She'd heard what happened, of course. When she saw Naruto flinch, she knew she hit the bull's eye. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was!" Naruto's eyes had a fierce, desperate light in them. "If I hadn't been stupid, Sasuke wouldn't have tried to save me and get injured! It's always been this way! With Haku, with Gaara…even with Itachi! I always get him hurt!"

Sighing, Sakura resisted the urge to throttle Naruto. Really, the blond boy could be so stubborn and dense. "Naruto. Suppose you saved Sasuke-kun's life and got injured. Would you blame Sasuke?"

"Of course not! It wasn't Sasuke's–"

"Then why do you suppose Sasuke-kun would blame you?" she asked softly. "And don't say it's not the same, because it is."

Naruto looked away. "I guess," he muttered. "But it's not just that, Sakura-chan. The villagers–they don't like me hanging around Sasuke. They say I'm…a bad influence on him."

"Oh, fuck the goddamned villagers!" Sakura snapped, finally letting out her inner self. "What the fuck do they know? Did they bring back Sasuke-kun? NO, they didn't. Do they know Sasuke-kun's thoughts? Are they Sasuke-kun?"

When Naruto didn't answer, Sakura shook him hard, then took Naruto's hands and clasped them in hers. Startled, Naruto blinked. "Sakura-chan? What the–"

She gave him a stare so intent Naruto felt like running to avoid it. "Stupid Naruto, can't you _see_? Sasuke _loves _you. Do you think he gives a _fuck_ about what people _think_? You of all people should know the answer to that. Besides, you _love_ him. Are you just going to give him up? Now? After _everything_?"

Sakura had given up on Sasuke, though she still had strong affections for the Uchiha. After Sasuke left, she poured her energy in training under Tsunade as a medic-nin. She didn't want to brood about him; to do so would be inviting depression. She accepted Sasuke wasn't coming back any time soon. She had to move on.

Then later, Lee came into her life–Lee with his big eyes, bowl-cut hair, green suit, bright smile, flowery speech, and most of all, his deep, steady love for her. He'd been so different for Sasuke, and in the end, been better for her.

Even after Sasuke came back, she stayed with Lee. She smiled inwardly when she remembered how Lee, head down and voice hoarse with unshed tears, told her he was willing to let her go if she wanted to be with Sasuke. "I am willing to do anything to make you happy…even if it means giving you up," he had said. Sakura let him be miserable for a few moments before beating the crap out of him for saying that. Silly Lee. Didn't he see that it was he she loved now, and not Sasuke?

But Naruto never gave up on Sasuke. "I'm not giving up. I don't care how long it takes. I promised to bring him back, Sakura-chan. I always keep my word. That is my ninja way," Naruto had told her a year ago. Where was that Naruto now?

Naruto stared at Sakura for a few moments and then smiled. "Sakura-chan…thank you." He gently removed his hands from hers. "I should be going back to the hospital."

"All right," Sakura said grudgingly, her green eyes narrowing to tiny slits. She accompanied Naruto to the door. "I'll visit Sasuke-kun as soon as Lee comes by," she said when they were outside.

"Okay." Naruto began to walk away, then glanced back. "Thanks for everything, Sakura-chan. Sayonara." He waved at her, then began to run.

Sakura gazed at Naruto's retreating form for a moment. She hoped her talk helped the blond. She was about to get in the house when she abruptly stopped and whirled around, her eyes wide. "Naruto, you idiot!" she shrieked. "Don't tell me you're leaving Sasuke-kun!"

The thought made Sakura sad. She had watched them grow, Naruto and Sasuke. Watched in the background as they spared against each other, growing stronger physically and mentally. She was there when they became rivals, best friends, enemies, and then finally as lovers. She had seen the touches and looks, heard the insults and jokes between. She had felt the pain and joy of knowing that these two were meant to be together in happiness, pain because she knew she knew she could never be a part of it, and joy because she knew those two would be happy at last.

She'd be damned if she were going to let them be destroyed by stupid people. And Sasuke wasn't helping at all. It was clear that Naruto was insecure about their relationship, and Sasuke somehow aggravated the whole thing. Clenching her fist, she stood up, a determined look on her face.

Just then, Lee appeared, holding a few shopping bags. "Sakura-chan, I have brought–Eh?" He paused when he saw Sakura's face. "What's wrong, Sakura-chan?"

"We're going to the hospital. To Sasuke."

Lee was more than a little alarmed at the firm tone in her voice. "We're going to visit Sasuke?"

"No." Sakura cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to shake some sense into him."

* * *

The pungent smell of antiseptics told Uchiha Sasuke where he was before he opened his eyes.

Sasuke hated hospitals. Too many of his unwanted memories had something to do with hospitals. Thus, he avoided them as much as possible, but fate seemed to bring him here more often than he liked.

He had been brought here several times–the day his whole clan was eliminated by his brother, when Orochimaru gave him the curse seal, when Gaara beat the crap out of him. And on this hospital's rooftop, he and Naruto fought to find out who was the strongest. It was the first time he fought Naruto with killing intent. This was the place where the 'unseen crack' between him and Naruto stopped being 'unseen'.

Opening his eyes, he briefly glanced at his surroundings, noting the white walls and the various machines hooked up to him. Everything was in order, but something was missing. He could feel it.

_Naruto…where are you? Are you alive? Did I get to you in time?_

Sasuke tensed at the sounds of shouts outside. Glancing at the door, he could feel people outside. The door then burst open with a bang. Sasuke half-expected to see Naruto enter, but instead, Sakura barged in. A very pissed-looking Sakura. Hot on her heels were several frantic doctors and nurses and a worried Lee. Glancing at Sakura, he was a little surprised to see the fierce light in her eyes. He was even more surprised when, snarling, Sakura grabbed him by his collar and pulled him up so that they were face to face.

"You idiot!" Sakura shrieked as she shook him hard. "What did you do to Naruto?"

Sasuke, though taken aback, was already moving to get Sakura off him, but stopped at the mention of Naruto. "Naruto? What about him?" His voice was cool and calm, but inside, a tight knot of fear formed on his stomach. Had he been too late? _Is Naruto dead?_

"What do you mean, what about him?" Sakura shook him harder. "He's been depressed and insecure why you lie here…and now he's thinking of leaving, if he hasn't left yet! You idiot! You're both idiots!"

Sasuke's blood froze. "Leaving? Naruto? Sakura, stop shaking me."

Sakura finally let go of him. Behind her, the doctors made a move to grab her, but Sasuke glared at them and gestured for them to leave. They lingered for a moment, but then his Sharingan began to spin. They left quickly after that. Only Lee remained.

"He's leaving, Sasuke-kun, I know it," Sakura said quietly. She bowed her head. "He said 'Sayonara'. Naruto never says that. You have to stop him, Sasuke-kun." This time, there were tears in her voice.

"Sasuke-san's gone," Lee said.

Looking up, Sakura saw that the bed was empty, and a breeze was coming in from the open window.

* * *

_It was raining when he left him; it was raining again when they met in that fateful valley. They were older this time, more powerful, Sasuke with his training with Orochimaru and Naruto with his training with Jiraiya. Hence, the resulting, inevitable fight between them had been twice–no–thrice as fierce and destructive than the last one they had. This time, they had managed to completely alter the landscape._

_Finally, when both of them were exhausted, injured, drained of chakra, and bleeding, Sasuke asked, wearily, as he was slumped against a rock, "Why won't you let go, Naruto? It'll be easier…for both of us." His voice was hardly a whisper, and if it weren't for his lingering Kyuubi-heightened senses, Naruto wouldn't have heard him over the heavy rain that washed over them. _

_"What the hell are you talking about, you fucking bastard?" Naruto snarled, gasping at the effort of speaking. One of Sasuke's well-aimed blows had hit him in the stomach, making him pant for breath. "What do you mean, easier? I can't let you go. You're my best friend."_

_Sasuke let out a bitter laugh, but the laugh turned to a choking fit. "I tried to kill you. Have you forgotten that, Naruto?"_

_"Che. You've tried to do that to me hundreds of times already. We'll likely be trying to kill each other until the day we grow old and die. We're rivals too, remember?" He grinned. "Face it, Sasuke. I'm not giving up. I'll try and try again until I convince you to come back home with me."_

_Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments. He just looked at Naruto, seeing the grin on his face. Sasuke felt something tug his heart. "Naruto…why?"_

_Naruto's blue eyes bore into his. "Because, you bastard, you are a part of me. I can't leave a part of me behind, especially with that greasy snake-bastard. Letting you go is like giving up a part of me…it feels empty, Sasuke…and lonely…without you."_

_The rain continued to pour, and Sasuke didn't reply for a while. Then, he said, "Usuratonkachi."_

_That day, Sasuke came home. _

* * *

"What do you think you're doing, Naruto?"

Naruto jumped at the sound of Sasuke's voice. Heart pounding in his chest, he faced Sasuke. The Uchiha was leaning against the doorframe of their room in Naruto's apartment, still wearing his blue hospital gown, arms folded across his chest. He was liberally dusted with snow, but he didn't seem to mind.

Naruto felt a chill rush up his spine when he saw that Sasuke's eyes were narrowed into blood-red slits, an angry look in them as they bore into Naruto. "Sa–Sasuke! What–what are you doing here?" he managed to say, at his wits' end to find a suitable excuse. Damn, he'd been caught in the act. _Sakura-chan must have told him._ Then he frowned, remembering where Sasuke _should_ be. He stood up. "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital, resting? Did the doctors say you could get up?"

Sasuke shoved himself off the doorframe and walked towards Naruto with slow, deliberate steps, like a panther circling its prey. Naruto stayed rooted to the spot, watching Sasuke's movements with wary eyes. "I discharged myself," Sasuke said. He stopped in front of Naruto and glanced at the overstuffed backpack, with its seams near bursting, then at Naruto's red face. "What were doing, Naruto?" he asked again. His voice was calm, almost dulcet, but Naruto could sense the underlying menace in it.

"Uhm…anou sa…packing?" Naruto mentally smacked himself.

"I can see that. What for?" Sasuke took a step closer, making Naruto take a hasty step back.

"I…ah…uhm…" Naruto cursed under his breath. _Bastard. Damn it, why couldn't you have stayed in your bed a while longer? _Then Naruto could have left without any complications.

Sasuke advanced on him, arm reaching out as if to grab him. Flinching, Naruto took another step back.

Naruto bumped into the foot of the bed and fell on the soft mattress with a dull 'oof'. Looking up, he found Sasuke leaning over him, trapping him between his outstretched arms. Their faces were mere inches apart. They were so close that Naruto could clearly pick up Sasuke's scent of sweat, musk, and antiseptics. He could feel his blood rushing to his ears. He was also surprised his heart hadn't burst out of his chest yet; it was beating so fast.

"You weren't _leaving_, were you, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, whispering against Naruto's ear, his sweet hot breath making Naruto shiver against his will. He could feel Sasuke's cool fingers dancing up his thigh, ghosting over _there_, then lingering. Naruto swallowed hard then glared at Sasuke. "What if I were leaving? What's that to you?" he demanded.

Sasuke didn't reply. He closed the gap between him and Naruto with a hard, fierce kiss.

With a muffled protest, Naruto struggled to get away, but his efforts were half-hearted. It had been so long since he'd tasted Sasuke, so long since he felt the Uchiha's warmth. Naruto let out a reluctant moan, his hand clutching Sasuke's hospital gown. Absently, in the back of his mind, Naruto wondered how Sasuke could be so warm when the Uchiha had just come out of bitter cold outside.

Sasuke's tongue slid into Naruto's mouth, seeking, twining with Naruto's own. Their lips slid against each other, tasting and nibbling. By the time Sasuke pulled away to kiss the underside of Naruto's jaw, Naruto was panting for breath. "Sasuke, stop," he whispered. His breath hitched in his throat when Sasuke's lips fell on the side of his neck, alternating between sucking and licking the sensitive flesh. His fingers curled tighter on Sasuke's clothes.

"I'm not letting you leave," Sasuke said as he slid his hands underneath Naruto's shirt, bunching it up and lifting it to bare Naruto's toned chest.

"I have to leave. I can't–ahn!" he gasped as Sasuke's fingers brushed against his nipples, rubbing it between his fingers until they were taut. His body arched into the touch. Gods, how is it that Sasuke knew how to press _all_ of Naruto's buttons? How could he have a coherent conversation with Sasuke at _this _state? "I can't stay with you."

Sasuke looked up at Naruto, his dark eyes gazing at him intently. "Why not?" He wrapped a hand around Naruto's waist and pulled him closer to him.

Naruto looked away, not wanting to let Sasuke see the pain in his eyes. "Because, damn it, Sasuke, I almost killed you then. I always hurt you."

"You have it the wrong way, dobe. It's me who always hurt you," Sasuke said quietly.

Naruto's eyes snapped wide open at Sasuke's words. He turned to face him. "Sasuke, that's not–"

"True?" Sasuke's lips twisted into a bitter smirk. "I hurt you when I left for Orochimaru, didn't I? I hurt you when I don't answer your questions or when I ignore you at times, don't I? And I hurt you even when I try to save you."

Konoha's loudest ninja suddenly found himself speechless. He hadn't thought Sasuke had been so…aware. In the year they had been living together, he'd never known Sasuke could be this way. "Sasuke…."

Sasuke took Naruto's hand, entwining his fingers with his in a fierce grip. His eyes bore into Naruto's. "Naruto, I'm not…perfect. I can't promise that I'll never hurt you, but gods," Sasuke tightened his grip around the blond's waist, "that doesn't mean I don't want to be with you or that I don't care." He kissed Naruto again, a deep, desperate kiss that made Naruto ache inside. "I can't let you go. Not again."

Naruto touched Sasuke's cheek with the back of his hand in a gentle caress. "Sasuke, I can't be with you. You need to revive your clan. That was one of your goals, remember? I'm keeping you from completing them. You need a girl for that, and I'm a guy."

In one swift movement, Naruto was flat on his back on the bed. Sasuke loomed over him, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Damn it, Naruto!" Sasuke said, sounding exasperated and angry at the same time. "Are you this dense? I don't care about reviving my clan! I don't want to pass my curse to anyone."

Naruto gave him a confused look. "But you said before–"

"That was _before_, dobe. Not _now_." Suddenly, Sasuke smiled. "Naruto, listen to me. I came back to this fucking village for _you_. Not for honor. Not to revive my clan. For _you_, dobe. If you're still thinking of leaving, then I'll follow you. We'll run away together, if you want, but I'm not letting you go."

Naruto was still for a moment, then he too, smiled. Then he punched Sasuke at the shoulder. "Bastard! Why hadn't you just told me before all of this? It would have–mmph!"

Sasuke covered Naruto's mouth with his, effectively shutting the blond up. Pulling away, he gave Naruto a smirk. "You talk too much, usuratonkachi." Before Naruto could answer, Sasuke kissed him again.

* * *

The bright rays that filtered through the blinds roused Sasuke from his sleep. Squinting his eyes at the light, he lifted his hand to his forehead, trying to block the sunshine. He shifted slightly, grunting when he came in contact with a soft, warm breast, then–

Sasuke paused, then his eyes snapped open. _Breasts? What the hell?_ He was about to bolt out of the bed in panic when he remembered something. _Oh, yeah. Naruto transformed into a girl last night with that…jutsu of his_. Sasuke felt himself grow hot and hard at the memory of last night. Gods, they had been very…energetic, with Naruto so damn…enthusiastic near the end, to say the very least. As a man or woman, Naruto was still Naruto–loud and full of energy. A smirk graced his handsome features. Now Naruto wouldn't be able to leave. He would be too sore to move.

But wait, shouldn't the jutsu have worn off by now? Sasuke frowned, running a hand through his damp jet-black hair. Sitting up, he glanced at the person beside him.

There was no doubt the person beside him was a girl. From the long, silky blonde hair to the generous curves, even with the whisker marks on each cheek, Naruto made a beautiful, enticing woman.

Swallowing, Sasuke leaned over and shook Naruto awake. "Naruto." When Naruto didn't respond, Sasuke shook 'him' harder. "Naruto!"

Naruto's response was a feminine moan. He snuggled closer to the pillows.

Annoyed, Sasuke shook Naruto even harder. When that didn't work, he leaned over, and then whispered, "Naruto, if you don't wake up, I'll throw away all your ramen. Dobe."

"Nobody's throwing away my ramen," Naruto responded sleepily, 'his' voice coming out sweet and melodious. Naruto cracked one eye open. "And don't call me dobe, bastard." He closed 'his' eye, but Sasuke shook him again. "What is it, Sasuke?" Naruto whined. "I can't move. I'm too sore. Can't I just sleep?"

Sasuke's lips twitched into a smirk, then he scowled. "Wake up, dobe. There's something you should take a look at."

"What is it?"

"You're still a girl."

There was a brief silence, and then Naruto bolted up, face pale. "_WHAT?_ But I already undid the jutsu!" 'He' then began to inspect 'his' body, noting the generous breasts, the narrow waist, wide hips, and 'his' lack of…tools. Eyes wide, 'he' glanced at Sasuke and then let out a loud, high-pitched scream.

**"IYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"**

**T.B.C.**

**Author's notes:** OHMIGOD! I have written it! The first yaoi lemon one in my whole life! I didn't make it overly graphic, 'cause I felt it might ruin the mood between them. I hope you liked it! I was alternating from laughing my head off to blushing to my roots when I wrote this! This chapter is long, don't you think?

**Chibi-onna1:** Ehem? We helped out, too, you know!

**Luna Catgirl:** Hai! Hai!

**Twisted-sheets:** Actually, it's Chibi-onna1 who wrote the le–mmph! :gets gagged by Chibi-onna1:

**Chibi-onna1: **She's lying. Don't believe her. :strangles twisted-sheets:

**Twisted-sheets:** Truth is :gag: I wrote the lemon, they would :gag: polish it for me. :gag: Stop strangling me! Or I'll cut your hair!

**Chibi-onna1:** :releases twisted-sheets and holds hair protectively: NO! Not my hair! My precious!

**On love and Sasuke:** Just because you love each other, that doesn't mean you won't hurt each other. In fact, the more we love, the more vulnerable we are to hurts. It's a sweet sad reality, kids. XD and on why Sasuke tries to save Naruto at the risk of his life? It's because he can't bear to lose Naruto. He'd rather die than let go. I hope it wasn't TOO sappy. What Sasuke was trying to say to a very dense Naruto was that Naruto had become his main priority, not Itachi, not reviving his clan. Gods, Naruto could be so dense. XD And the curse Sasuke was talking about? He meant the Sharingan. It's at much as a curse as a gift.

**Sayonara:** In case you didn't know, the Japanese rarely say 'Sayonara' when bidding farewell. They say 'ja' or something. When you say 'Sayonara', that means you're not going to see that person ever again.

**On Naruto:** Yeah, he's a bit depressed here. But he's happy now…I think.

**Haruno Sakura:** I made her nice here! I think she's the one who can most understand the relationship between Sasuke and Naruto. After all, she's always there. Sakura went to Sasuke first because she knew it was only Sasuke who could convince him. And yes, that was Inner Sakura shaking the shit out of Sasuke.

**The flashback:** And that was how Naruto got Sasuke back. :grin: He just wouldn't give up. This chapter is sort of a 'reminiscing' chapter, in a way. People are just remembering stuff. The plot really begins at the end. XD

**Sexy no Jutsu:** Whahahaha! I'm sure you know what THIS move means for the two! :grin: If you don't, dude, you need to read more Naruto yaoi fanfiction.

**Next chapter:** Sasuke and Naruto deal with the consequences and joys of having unprotected sex. XD Kakashi and Iruka helps…them…or maybe not!


	4. Chapter IV: Consequences

**Disclaimer:** Eh? I'm not Naruto. I don't own it. We just write fanfics. So don't sue!

**Authors' notes:** In this chapter, Naruto and Sasuke discover the joys and consequences of unprotected sex. **I'll refer to Naruto as she from this chapter on. XD**

**Pairings:** SasuNaru. What else? And on this chapter, KakaIru. XD

**Special thanks to: _Bhodi li:_**_ Don't worry, I'll make them both very happy. :grin:_

_**K-chan xoxo:** OHMIGOD! It's you! Anyway, thank you, and here is the new chapter._

_**Silver tenshi:** Hehehe…You'll just have to wait and see what's going to happen next. It's fun, I promise. XD_

_**Vicadin-Tea:** The lemon is in Hehehehe. Thanks!_

_**RuByMoOn17:** Ooh. It's been a while, That's OK. Anyway, thank you!_

_**Kaiyo no Hime:** Oh yes. WE LOVE SEXY NO JUTSU! All Hail! XD_

_**KunochiDreamer:** Well, we updated as early as we can. Glad you liked it. XD_

_**Gi wo mite sezaru wa ya n:** Yes, Sasuke did. He really did. XD_

_**Inu-chan 613:** Thank you. Here's the next chapter!_

_**ILLK:** Thank you! Hahaha…it seems everyone but Naruto knows what's wrong with him._

_**Thirteenth-spider: **Wahahahha! Yes, the lemon is good! Lemons are always good!_

_**Gaaradaisuki:** ARGH! Ignore her! You're lucky I love your musical dil-o so much! XD_

This is for **Buta-chan, Luchi, and Klaine (the pokemon XD)**. :giggle:

**Chapter IV: Consequences **

A loud pounding on the door roused Hatake Kakashi from his sleep. Sighing, he slipped out of the bed and ambled for the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he did. The pounding became louder, as if trying to break the door down. Still half-asleep and mumbling about rude people, Kakashi flung open the door.

"Iruka-sensei! Iruka-sen–" Something yellow and soft hurled itself at him, nearly pummeling him to the floor. Glancing down, he saw a voluptuous blond girl in a tight orange shirt and pants. Kakashi nearly had a nosebleed right then and there.

The girl pulled away from him, her blue eyes wide with shock. "Kakashi-sensei?" she asked. "What the hell are you doing in Iruka-sensei's house?" The girl then looked at him up and down, a blush on her cheeks. "Where's your facemask? What are you doing here _naked_?"

Kakashi looked down. Oh. He had forgotten to put on his clothes and his mask as well. He stared at the girl, trying to recall her. "Who are you?" he asked. Blue eyes, blonde hair, loud mouth, whiskered cheeks–Kakashi's mismatched eyes snapped fully open. Could it be?

"Naruto?" Iruka called sleepily from behind Kakashi. "What are you doing in that form?"

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto glanced past Kakashi. "What is Kakashi-sensei doing here naked in your house?" Naruto blushed again when she saw Iruka. "And why are you _naked_ too?" Naruto glanced away.

Kakashi stood there, looking like he'd been poleaxed. Then he stared at the girl again. This was Naruto? This sexy girl? Looking around, he saw a disgruntled-looking Sasuke leaning against the rails. The Uchiha gave Kakashi a pointed look. Oh. Kakashi then smiled to himself. This would be interesting.

* * *

"…and then–stop laughing" Naruto snarled when Kakashi burst into laughter as Naruto related how she ended up stuck in the jutsu. "You try being struck in this form, you damned pervert!" They were now in Iruka's living room, sitting on the couch. By this time, Kakashi and Iruka both had clothes on, for which Naruto was thankful. Seeing his two senseis together and naked bothered him. A lot. 

Kakashi arched an eyebrow at Naruto. "Oh, who are you to call me pervert? I'm not the one who transformed into a girl during–"

"Shut up, Kakashi," Iruka said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Damn, he could feel a migraine coming, not to mention a potential nosebleed.

Kakashi ignored Iruka. "Oh, I don't think it's THAT bad, Naru-_chan_. Think of all the possibilities!" he teased, laughing again at Naruto's outraged "Don't call me NARU-CHAN!". Sneaking a glance at Sasuke, Kakashi saw that the Uchiha looked like he was about to punch a Chidori right into his gut. Kakashi winked at him. Oh, how he loved his students! He knew he could always count on them for entertainment.

"Kakashi," Iruka growled out in warning. He glanced back at Naruto. "So, uh, after you, ah, transformed into a girl and then you and Sasuke, ah–" Damn, he was having a hard time with this. Iruka gave himself a mental shake. He still could not accept that Naruto, his little Naruto, whom he'd come to see as his son, was having…sexual relations with Uchiha Sasuke. _Gods, Naruto's only fifteen!_ he thought. The father in him wept at the thought. _He's been corrupted so young!_ Unconsciously, he glared at Sasuke and Kakashi.

"Iruka-sensei? Is something wrong?" Sasuke asked when he saw the glare Iruka sent him. But Iruka was too lost in his thoughts to hear him.

_I knew the potential was there, with Naruto hanging out with Kakashi and Jiraiya! Why hadn't I talked to Naruto?_ Iruka wailed to himself.

_Heh_, a small dark part of Iruka whispered. _You're just jealous because you got laid late in life. You're jealous because Naruto got a head start and–_

_Oh, shut up!_

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto waved a hand in front of Iruka. When that didn't work, she hit him on the head. "Iruka-sensei!"

That finally snapped Iruka from his reverie. "Ah, gomen." All three looked strangely at him. "Anyway, that's what happened?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I've tried everything to undo the jutsu, but nothing works and I'm stuck!"

Iruka thought for a moment. "What have you been doing lately? Have you used your chakra for something?"

Naruto shook her head. "No. Just this jutsu, so far."

"Well, this could be because of chakra fluctuations, but I'm not sure."

"Maybe I should give you a _thorough_ examination," Kakashi said with a glint in his eyes as he looked at Naruto's curvaceous body from head to…toe.

**"NO!"** Naruto and Iruka said at the same time, bolting up from their seats. Even Sasuke stood up and looked menacingly at Kakashi.

"No way I'm going to let a pervert like you touch my body!" Naruto shouted, waving a fist.

Kakashi looked hurt. "How mean. Oh well, in that case, there's only one way to find out what's wrong with you. We'll have to go to the Godaime Hokage so she can take a look at you."

* * *

To her credit, Tsunade didn't laugh when Naruto told her what happened. She didn't have to. The look in her eyes told them what she felt about the whole thing. 

Jiraiya, on the other hand, eyed Naruto's form with undisguised lechery. "I don't see anything wrong with Naruto remaining in this form. She can even help with my research." Drool formed at both sides of Jiraiya's mouth as he continued to look at Naruto.

Sasuke stepped in front of Naruto, shielding him from Jiraiya's leering. The Uchiha glared at the toad hermit, his eyes bleeding red as it began to spin into a full-powered Sharingan.

Iruka had to restrain Naruto to keep her from attacking Jiraiya. Kicking and punching in the air as she struggled in Iruka's grip, she screeched, "Let me at him! I'll never help in your research, you perverted hermit! Let me go, Iruka-sensei!"

"Now, Naruto, that's not the way a lady should act," Tsunade said with a straight face. Naruto glared at her. "You can beat up Jiraiya later. Now, if you'll excuse us, I need to examine Naruto in private." There were groans of disappointment from Kakashi and Jiraiya. Smiling at her patient, Tsunade dragged a howling Naruto inside, while a grinning Shizune closed the door.

* * *

As the men waited for the results, Kakashi turned to Sasuke, who had been brooding in one corner. "Sasuke," he said. The Uchiha gave him a calm look. "When you and Naruto had sex, did you use protection? On both instances?" He ignored Iruka's scandalized yelp. 

Sasuke gave him a strange look. "No. Do you?"

"Ah." Kakashi grinned at Sasuke. "You should always use protection, you know."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. He opened his mouth to ask what he meant by that when the door burst open, revealing a grinning Tsunade and a flustered (if not outraged), Naruto. Naruto immediately went to Sasuke's side, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "You didn't have to touch me _there_, you old hag!" Naruto shouted in a shrill voice. Her blue eyes were very wide.

"Standard procedure," Tsunade said crisply. "Anyway, nothing seems to be wrong with Naruto physically, but I have noticed some unusual chakra fluctuations in her chakra system. There are also some unusual…things in her blood, but I don't have the result right now. I'll get that later from the blood test."

"So? What does that mean?" Naruto said. "Am I stuck in this form or what?"

"Well, it seems like you'll be stuck in that form for a while," Tsunade replied.

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted. "I can't be stuck in this form!" Naruto then began to curse.

"How long will Naruto be stuck in this form?" Sasuke asked, looking serious.

Tsunade gave him a level gaze. "For a while. I have yet to determine why Naruto can't change back." She then turned to a still-swearing Naruto. "Meanwhile, you are to be taken off the list of active shinobi. You cannot accept missions, and you are prohibited from any vigorous training, exercise, or activity."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Nani? But–"

"But nothing, Naruto," Tsunade cut him off. Seeing the mutinous look on Naruto's face, she added, "That's an order. You are also prohibited from performing any jutsus that utilizes chakra or any physical exertion." She looked at Sasuke. "Uchiha, see that he follows my instructions. If he doesn't, you have permission to tie her flat on her back on her bed."

Sasuke nodded. Naruto stamped her foot in frustration. "Why do I have to do all of this?"

Tsunade patted Naruto on the shoulder. "This is for your own safety. Trust me. And oh, as much as possible, don't tell other people you're Naruto. Stay in the apartment until I call for you. You don't want people finding out you messed up your own jutsu, do you?"

Naruto stared at Tsunade. "I hate you," she said, though not as vehemently as one would have expected. "Fine. I'll do what you told me. Now can I go home?"

Tsunade nodded. "Of course." She turned to Shizune. "Escort them outside."

As soon as the boys were out of earshot, Kakashi glanced at Tsunade, who now had a grim look on her face. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked, cocking his head to one side. Beside him, Iruka looked puzzled.

Tsunade's eyes met with Kakashi. "Yes. I still have to wait for the result of the blood test to confirm if my suspicions are correct, but I'm pretty sure."

Kakashi scratched his cheek. "This is a very interesting development. I can't wait for their reaction."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "I'm worried about the Uchiha. Naruto may be able to cope with this, but the Uchiha is a different matter."

"I think Sasuke already knows–at least suspects–what's wrong with Naruto."

* * *

Something was wrong. 

Naruto stared at Sasuke as they walked towards their apartment. Thankfully, it was the middle of the day, so not many people were around to see Naruto. The Uchiha was silent as usual, but Naruto had learned that Sasuke had different 'silences'. Knowing one from the other was a matter of facial expression (which was hard, since Sasuke didn't show a lot of expressions) or most often, it was the matter of the look in Sasuke's eyes. Glancing at Sasuke, Naruto could see that Sasuke's black eyes were hooded by his long lashes, and was not quite fully aware of those around him. Sasuke was _brooding_. Again.

Naruto felt her heart ache. Was Sasuke having second thoughts about the two of them now that she was stuck as a girl? He'd been watching the Uchiha carefully as Tsunade explained the whole thing about her case. She noticed that the Uchiha was expressionless throughout the whole thing. Whether that was a bad sign or not, she couldn't tell.

_Damn it!_ Tears stung her eyes. It wasn't fair! Things were all right between the two of them, and now this had to happen! Naruto cursed herself for being so stupid as to–

"Naruto?" Sasuke's voice broke through her thoughts. "We're here."

They entered the apartment in silence, with Naruto not looking up, fearing that if she met Sasuke's eyes then and saw the rejection she feared would be there, she'd cry. And Naruto hated crying.

Naruto would have headed for the bedroom, but then Sasuke grabbed her wrists and embraced her.

Naruto's eyes went wide with surprise. Then she wrapped her arms around Sasuke. "Sasuke?" she sniffed.

"What?" Sasuke broke the embrace and stared at Naruto.

"Do you mind, about me being stuck as a girl?" Naruto looked down and twiddled with her thumbs. "I know you don't like girls and–"

"I don't mind."

Naruto's head snapped up. Sasuke looked calm, and he sounded sincere? "Huh?"

"Girl or boy, you're you. Naruto is Naruto. I didn't mind when I found out you're the Kyuubi's container. Why would I mind if you were stuck as girl? You're still Naruto." Now Sasuke looked annoyed. "Now stop this nonsense. I want to eat."

Finally, for the first time today, Naruto smiled. "All right! Let's have instant ramen!" She may be a girl, but her tastes haven't changed. Ramen was still the best!

* * *

Later in the afternoon, Kakashi fetched them from the apartment. Tsunade was finished with the tests, and she had the results. Naruto scowled when she saw him grinning at the two of them. 

After a few minutes, they were in the Hokage tower, in Tsunade's quarters. "All right, old hag, what's wrong with me?" Naruto demanded as soon as she entered the room. Behind her, Sasuke had an impassive look on his face.

"Sit down, Naruto," Tsunade commanded. Naruto immediately complied. Sasuke leaned against the wall, just behind Naruto.

_Uh, oh,_ Naruto thought. Tsunade rarely used that tone on her, and when she did, it usually meant she was in big, big trouble. "Well?"

"Naruto, it looks like you'll be stuck in that form for several months."

"What? Why? What's wrong?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Nothing is wrong with you. Naruto, the reason you're stuck in your Sexy no Jutsu form is because you're…" Tsunade paused, looking straight at Sasuke then back at Naruto.

"I'm what?" _Gods, would the old hag just come right out and say what she wanted to say_?

"Naruto, you're pregnant. Congratulations."

**T.B.C.**

**Author's notes, part 2:** This is a very fun chapter, isn't it? Wehehe. Not much of a surprise, is it? But Naruto was clueless to the end. XD And more show than tell, for a change, I hope. Many thanks to **Chibi-onna1** for proofreading! :huggles **chibi-onna1**:

**Kakashi and Sexy no Jutsu:** Well, Kakashi isn't aware of Sexy no Jutsu. Remember when Naruto was calling Ebisu-sensei a closet pervert? He had no idea what Sexy no Jutsu was!

**Iruka and Naruto:** Oh, I loved the whole father-son thing going between the two!

**Shikamaru and Ino:** If you're wondering what happened to the two, you'll find out next chapter. XD

**Naruto's pregnancy:** Before we get into an argument about this, I'll explain in the next chapter. Just curious, what do you think the sex (of the baby) would be? Boy or girl?

**Next chapter:** Ooh! Sasuke and Naruto are going to be parents! But how will Sasuke take it? Will he want the baby? How will the village react? What about their friends? And as these events transpire, Tsunade conceives a curious plan, while Sakura throws the 'bridal shower' of the year for Ino! And don't forget the boys!


	5. Chapter V: Expecting

**Disclaimer:** Don't sue. I don't own Naruto. Sasuke does.

**Authors' notes: **Wahahaha! How will Sasuke and Naruto cope with the pregnancy? What about the rest of Konoha? Read to find out! Again, Naruto is referred to as 'she' to remind people Naruto's in Sexy no Jutsu.

**The TD's:** If anyone's wondering who the hell the TD's are, they're lesser 'devils' I'm trying to corrupt…If they aren't corrupted already. XD

**Fanart:** Oh yeah. MooguriKlaine drew a fanart for Naruto, though not necessarily of this fic. It's SasuNaru, and Naruto and Sasuke discuss Tsukiyomi…and its uses. XD The link is in the profile!

**MPREG**…Naruto in Sexy no Jutsu form. Yaoi. Lemons. If you don't like this, run away.

**Pairings:** SasuNaru. KakaIru. Minor pairings include SakuLee, ShikaIno and NejiHina. XD

**Special thanks to: _Bhodi li: _**_:dances as well: Yes, I'm doing happy dance, too. As for the sex, you'll have to wait for chapter 7!_

_**Lady-Frisselle:** You reviewed here, too! As for your question, you'll have to wait and see!_

_**Lena:** As long as Naruto and Sasuke ends up together, I don't care if it's called NaruSasu or SasuNaru. XD Thank you very much for liking our story!_

_**ILLK:** Uhm…well, we have an explanation at the end of the chapter. I hope you'll still continue reading! XD_

_**Kaiyo No Hime:** A girl? We'll see. I'm partial to it, actually! I could almost see Sasuke terrorizing her suitors! XD_

_**Ispicious:** Thank you very much! Here's the next chapter!_

_**Garu-daisuki:** There you go again! Ignore her! You're still waiting for twisted-sheets? I'm here!_

_**Eve night:** Uh, this chapter should explain what role Sexy no Jutsu plays. XD_

_**Melon-heart:** Uhm, Naruto's smaller still. And yes, poor Naru!_

_**Thirteenth-Spider:** Of course you know! You're my co-writer! _

This is for **Alex**, the guy who cross-played Tomoyo of CCS. :grin:

**Chapter V: Expecting**

_**"WHAT?"**_

Behind Naruto, there was a dull thud. Glancing down, they saw Iruka sprawled on the floor, unconscious. He had fainted at the news. Naruto felt like fainting, too, but the blonde wasn't about to do that. "What are you talking about, you old hag? I can't get pregnant! I'm a freaking GUY!" Naruto screeched. Everyone in the room winced.

Tsunade looked at Naruto from head to toe. Naruto blushed. "Not anymore, brat."

Mouth wide open, Naruto just stared at Tsunade. The Kyuubi-container then turned to Sasuke, who, much to Naruto's consternation, didn't look surprised at the news. Kakashi was grinning at Naruto while lifting an unconscious Iruka. Jiraiya was smiling as well. They all looked so…smug. Naruto wanted to throw a tantrum right then and there. "You're joking, right" Naruto asked, praying she was right and Tsunade was wrong. "I'm not really pregnant, am I?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Naruto. You _are_ pregnant. That's why you can't change back to your male form. Your pregnancy won't allow you to change back."

"Bullshit!" Naruto jumped up from her seat. "I'm a guy–"

"Not when you used the jutsu. You became female then. Apparently, not only does your jutsu change your outward appearance into a girl, it also changed your…ah, biological make-up. You probably haven't thought about that when you developed the jutsu, have you? You overdid things again, brat." Tsunade gave him a small wry smile.

Naruto scowled. "So you're telling me I became pregnant because of my jutsu?"

Tsunade took a deep breath. This was going to be a long explanation. "Yes. However, that's not the whole of it. I think your chakra and the Kyuubi's chakra also made the conception possible."

"The Kyuubi? That bastard" Now Naruto was completely bewildered.

"As you know, you _are_ able to use the Kyuubi's unlimited chakra and merge it with your own. Not only that, your own chakra is inexhaustible, too. The jutsu enabled you to get pregnant, but it's your and the Kyuubi's combined chakra that allows you to _stay_ pregnant and in that form" Tsunade said.

"What Tsunade means, you brat" Jiraiya said when he saw the confused expression on Naruto's face"is that the Kyuubi's chakra _keeps_ you pregnant. That jutsu of yours requires chakra to keep it up, and in your case, you'll be in that jutsu for a long time. Not many people have enough chakra for that. They might get pregnant with the jutsu, but without enough chakra, they can't _stay_ pregnant. Most likely, they'll transform back into the male form and lose the kid. You, on the other hand, thanks in part to the Kyuubi, have unlimited chakra."

Naruto sank back into her seat and leaned back against the cushions. Gods, her head was pounding in pain. This was too much for her to take in one sitting.

"Another thing is" Tsunade added"the Kyuubi's a demon fox. Do you know what ability demon foxes have aside from illusions and fire?"

"No." Naruto said in acid tones. "But you're going to tell me, right?"

Tsunade leaned over. "Demon foxes have the ability to get pregnant whether they're male or female. And since you have a demon fox sealed in you…"

Naruto shook her head, trying to shake off the impending headache. _Damn fox! When we meet again, I'm going to KILL you!_ "How can you be sure I am pregnant? It's only been a day or so since I got stuck in this form! Isn't it a little early"

Tsunade gave an unladylike snort. "Please. Give my skills a little more credit, brat. Medical equipment are much more sensitive nowadays. Besides, the changing chakra in you tells it all."

"Oh." Naruto looked straight into Tsunade's eyes, meeting the Hokage's steady gaze. Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly. "So I really am pregnant, huh?"

Tsunade nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes. Even now as we speak, a new life is forming within you."

Naruto's hand fell to her stomach. Pregnant. _I'm going to have a baby_. Her gaze then fell on Sasuke, who was regarding her intently. His black eyes bore into her, the black pools expressionless as always. Naruto swallowed. The blonde wondered what Sasuke thought about the pregnancy. Sasuke's face had been an emotionless mask when Tsunade gave the announcement. Just yesterday, Naruto had been worried that she couldn't give Sasuke his clan, and now, it looks like she could. Naruto didn't know if she'd be glad or not. Part of her was happy and excited, of course, but another part was full of doubts. What if Sasuke didn't want the child?

Tsunade saw the look between the two. She rose from her seat. Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Iruka (who was still unconscious and was being carried by Kakashi) followed. "We'll leave the two of you alone to talk." She gave the Uchiha a level stare before she left with the others, closing the door shut as she did.

* * *

For a long while, Naruto and Sasuke just stared at each other in silence. Then, unable to bear the silence, Naruto said with a crooked grin on her face. "Looks like you're going to revive your clan, after all." 

Sasuke didn't respond. Naruto cursed inwardly. Damn it! With all that's been happening with the two of them, Naruto felt like she was in some emotional seesaw. And she was already sick of it. "Sasuke, tell me the truth. Do you want the baby?" Naruto held her breath as Sasuke pushed off the wall and walked towards the blonde. If Sasuke didn't want the child, Naruto did. Naruto would raise it on her own, if it came to that, but the thought of Sasuke not wanting something that was part of both of them made her want to cry.

"The child is our flesh, our blood. Why wouldn't I want the child?" Sasuke said calmly. He'd thought about this possibility from the moment that Kakashi asked him about protection. He hadn't been happy about it, but then again, neither was he angry about it. A child was such a big responsibility, but that didn't stop his heart from leaping with joy at the thought of a child of his and Naruto's blood. It was something the two of them made; something that belonged only to the two of them. He sat beside Naruto, his hand resting gently on Naruto's flat stomach. "The question is, do you want it? You understand the consequences of this, don't you?"

"Of course!" Naruto said, outraged at the insinuation that she was dumb, but at the same time, relieved that Sasuke wanted the child. The blond grinned at Sasuke, for the first time letting her excitement show. Then she frowned. "But are we ready for this? I mean we're only fifteen…oh wait, Hinata-chan and Neji-white-eyes were even younger when they had their kid. So I guess we could handle it, couldn't we?" Then Naruto impulsively embraced Sasuke. "We're keeping the baby, aren't we?"

Sasuke gave a small smile and pulled Naruto closer. "Yes, we are."

* * *

"Of course, you do understand the consequences and responsibilities of having a child, don't you?" Tsunade said to the soon-to-be parents. Naruto and Sasuke nodded, but both of them looked annoyed. 

After Naruto and Sasuke announced that they would be keeping the child, Tsunade launched into a full lecture on parenthood. Meanwhile, Iruka, who had finally managed to regain consciousness, began to cry, blubbering about Naruto growing up so fast. Kakashi just patted him on the back.

"What about the Kyuubi?" Sasuke suddenly asked, sounding concerned. "Will Naruto having the child affect the Kyuubi and the seal? Will the Kyuubi have an effect on our child?"

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at each other then back at Sasuke. This was something they had talked about before, but they still didn't have any clear ideas. "We don't know. The seal was designed in such a way as to seal the Kyuubi and protect the host as well. I don't think the child will have an effect on the seal and the Kyuubi, which means the Kyuubi can't escape, but the Kyuubi might affect the child."

Naruto felt herself go cold at the thought. Her stomach curled into a tight knot. "How would the Kyuubi affect our child?" The though of their child being hurt or harmed by the Kyuubi frightened her. Naruto shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist in an instinctive gesture to protect the child growing within her.

"Naruto," Tsunade began, "as you know, your chakra and the Kyuubi's are slowly merging. There is a possibility that some of that chakra might have gone to the child. I don't think that will harm the baby, but it's possible your child might inherit some abilities from the Kyuubi."

"Oh."

"What about the cursed seal Orochimaru gave me?" Sasuke asked, his hand brushing against the said seal on the nape of his neck. Orochimaru's cursed seal on Sasuke was still active, though under Sasuke's tight control. It also helped that Tsunade and Jiraiya put some sort of mitigating seal on it to prevent it from affecting Sasuke too much.

"The cursed seal shouldn't have any effects on the child," Tsunade answered. "The cursed seal only affects you." _And thank the gods for that_, Tsunade thought. Then she cleared her throat. "I also think that we should keep your pregnancy a secret from the villagers."

"What? Why? We have nothing to be ashamed of!" Naruto clenched her fists. Naruto knew the villagers didn't like her because she carried the Kyuubi within her, but she didn't want to go in hiding just because of them. However, Naruto knew the depth of hatred some villagers had for her. Though none ever tried to physically hurt her, their harsh words and contemptuous attitudes wounded her very soul. Who knew what they'd do to their child? Naruto vowed to herself that her child would never want for love. Naruto and Sasuke would never let anyone hurt their child. _Over my dead body._ "We won't let the villagers hurt me and the kid."

"That's not the only reason." Tsunade gave both of them a level stare. "If Orochimaru and the Akatsuki found out Naruto's pregnant, I can only imagine what they would do to Naruto and the child." The room then became very quiet.

Naruto felt a chill rush up her spine at the mention of two of their most hated adversaries. She'd almost forgotten about them. Naruto knew that Orochimaru still wanted Sasuke for his next body, and the Akatsuki still craved for the Kyuubi. It didn't help that the one hunting down Naruto was Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's brother and the murderer of the whole Uchiha clan. One didn't have to be a genius to know what Sasuke was feeling right now.

Sasuke tensed. Glancing at him, Naruto saw that the Uchiha's hands were clenched into tight fists; his knuckles were white. "If anyone tries to harm Naruto and our child, I'll kill them," Sasuke said in a calm, matter-of-fact voice. His eyes narrowed dangerously into tiny slits, red bleeding into the black as the Sharingan came to life. Tsunade inwardly shivered. She had a feeling that with a family to protect, the Uchiha had become more dangerous and lethal that before. She pitied the unlucky person who'd make the mistake of crossing the young man. He'd get no mercy from the Uchiha.

"I'm sure you're capable of that, Uchiha, but prevention is still the best cure, and I want to avoid a bloodbath as much as possible. Your pregnancy remains a secret, all right? Don't tell everyone you're Naruto. But we'll have to do something about those whisker marks of yours," Tsunade said. She was aware that not many of the villagers knew about Naruto's female form. Though Naruto's distinctive whisker marks might make people suspect who she really was, without confirmation, it would only appear as speculation on the villagers' part. Still, suspicion could be enough to spark their anger.

"Can I tell my friends?" Naruto asked. "I might need their help with the kid."

"I suppose that would be all right," Tsunade replied grudgingly. Then her amber eyes gleamed with mischief and excitement. To Naruto's surprise, Tsunade hugged her, nearly crushing Naruto's ribs. "Oh, Naruto! I can't believe it! You're going to have a baby!"

Naruto just stared at Tsunade, suddenly confused. What was the old hag excited about? She wasn't the one going to have a baby. Tsunade broke away from Naruto and grinned at her. "I am going to enjoy this." She winked at Shizune, who laughed.

"Eh? What are you going to enjoy?" Now Naruto was confused _and_ frightened.

Tsunade's grin widened. "Shopping, of course!" She gave Naruto an appraising look. "You'll need new clothes–girl clothes and some maternity wear! Not to mention baby clothes and stuff! You'll also need some make-up to cover those scars…"

"Wait a minute! What shopping" Naruto shouted, her face suddenly red. "Aren't you going too fast, Tsunade-baba? My stomach isn't even big yet! And who said anything about me wearing girl clothes and make-up? I will not do those things!"

Tsunade gave Naruto a pointed look. "You need them. You can't wear your old clothes; they won't fit and they're hardly suitable for one in your condition. Besides, you'll need the clothes as a way of disguise…and then you'll need stuff for the baby…" As Tsunade droned on about clothes, bottles, and diapers, Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who shrugged helplessly. Naruto groaned. This was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

_This is torture. Pure and simple torture_, Naruto thought to herself as she watched Tsunade and Shizune browse through the rack of clothes–girl clothes, giggling like madmen (or rather, madwomen) as they inspected each item of clothing. They've been doing this for two hours already, and they didn't even seem tired, but Naruto felt like she went through a day of training with all the walking and browsing at stores they were doing. 

Naruto couldn't understand them. They'd go to a store, look at wares, get a few clothes, have her fit them, and then have her parade the said clothes in front of them. Then Tsunade and Shizune would inspect Naruto, shaking their heads or giggling madly. The worst part had been when they'd gone to a lingerie store for some undergarments.

_"I AM NOT GOING INSIDE!" Naruto shouted to Tsunade. Bystanders gaped at them, but Naruto didn't care. Naruto's skin crawled when she saw the lacy stuff inside. Dammit! Naruto may be physically and biologically a girl now, but mentally, Naruto was still a male. The thought of wearing those skimpy and lacy garments sent chills up her spine. _

_Tsunade and Shizune dragged her inside, and as soon as she was there, the saleswomen converged on Naruto, cooing over her 'body'. One redheaded saleswoman smiled at a twitching Naruto, looking at her from toe to chest. "The young lady has such nice figure. What is your cup size?" She began to show Naruto several lacy bras of different sizes._

_Naruto simply freaked, and ran off screaming. It had taken Tsunade's enormous strength and the promise of free ramen (several, actually) to get Naruto back inside. _

Naruto shivered as she remembered what had happened. She was thankful that not many people had seen her, and that the disguise (Tsunade had earlier covered her whisker scars with a concealer) prevented anyone from identifying her…yet.

It didn't help that Sasuke wasn't with Naruto. Tsunade had sent him away when they went to shop, leaving Naruto in Tsunade's clutches. _Sasuke, you bastard! How could you do this to ME? This isn't fair! _

Clenching her teeth, Naruto watched Tsunade and Shizune browse at racks of clothing. Naruto let her gaze wander around the store, noticing the puzzled looks directed at her by some of the customers. They obviously wondered who she was. _Well, let them keep on guessing,_ Naruto thought smugly.

As she continued to look around, Naruto's eyes widened when she suddenly saw familiar heads of pink and blue-black approach them. _Oh, SHIT! Sakura-chan and Hinata-chan!_ Naruto did want to tell them about her pregnancy, but not now, in a store filled with gossipy women!

"Tsunade-sensei" Sakura shouted, half-running towards Tsunade. Hinata managed a soft 'Ohayou!'. "You're shopping too" she asked, looking at the shopping bags in Tsunade and Shizune's hands. Her gaze fell to Naruto, who 'eeped' and tried to hide behind Tsunade. Sakura's green eyes narrowed as she studied the girl.

"Ah." Tsunade thrust out Naruto, who was now looking at her feet. Tsunade smiled at Sakura. "Sakura, Hinata, this is…Arashi Aoi. She's my uh, niece."

Naruto's head snapped up to protest, but she was cut off when Tsunade stepped on her toes. "Itai! What was that for, you old hag!" she growled out, hopping out of Tsunade's range.

Tsunade ignored Naruto's howling and continued to smile at the now-confused young women. "Please excuse her behavior. She's staying with me for quite a while. We're shopping for her clothes." She turned to Naruto, a sweet, menacing smile on her face that promised great pain if Naruto rebelled. "This is Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata. Say hello to them."

"Hajimemashite. I'm pleased to meet you," Naruto mumbled, not looking at Sakura and Hinata.

Sakura turned Tsunade. "Oh, that's why she looked familiar. She looks like you, Tsunade-sensei."

Tsunade and Naruto both choked on that. "I do not look like HER!" they said in unison. They glared at each other.

"Well…uh…." Sakura gave a small smile. "We're having a bridal shower for a friend of ours, Ino. Would you like to come, Aoi-san? That way you'll meet the other girls. You can come too, Tsunade-sensei."

"A bridal shower?" Tsunade smiled back. "Another one of those foreign influences. For the Yamanaka girl? I won't be able to go–paperwork, but of course Aoi-chan would love to attend."

"What? A bridal shower? The hell I'll–" Naruto shut her mouth when Tsunade glared at her. Naruto forced a smile. "Of course I'll come. Thank you for inviting me." Naruto bowed. "I'll be happy to attend."

"Great." Sakura and Hinata smiled at Naruto. "I'll be looking forward to seeing you there, Aoi-san" Hinata said in her soft voice.

Naruto inwardly winced. Trust Tsunade to land her in a mess. Glaring back at Tsunade, Naruto said through clenched teeth"So will I, Hinata-chan. So will I."

* * *

"Hey, Shikamaru, aren't you going to help me in planning this" Inuzuka Kiba demanded of Shikamaru, who was sitting indolently on one of the benches in Ichiraku's, eyes closed. Beside Shikamaru was Akimichi Chouji, eating his tenth bowl of ramen, oblivious as always. 

Shikamaru didn't even bother to open his eyes. "No."

Kiba slammed a fist on the table. "But this is your bachelor party, Shikamaru! You should get involved."

"I don't care. This was your idea. The whole wedding's too troublesome already for me to bother with a bachelor party." Shikamaru opened an eye. "Besides, you're just looking for an excuse to get roaring drunk."

"I AM NOT! I don't get drunk, just…tipsy."

"If it's not impolite for me to ask, Kiba-kun" Lee said from his seat beside a quiet Neji"why are we having another bachelor party? Remember the last time that we had one for Neji-kun on your suggestion? That ended up in a disaster, I recall."

Kiba shot up from his seat. "Hey! It wasn't THAT bad! How should I know Jiraiya-san, Kakashi, and Asuma-sensei would bring in strippers? I didn't send them"

Neji inwardly shuddered at the memory of his bachelor party, courtesy of Kiba. The Inuzuka had suggested it to him (where Kiba had the idea for a bachelor party Neji didn't know, though he suspected the idea came from Asuma or Jiraiya). He had initially refused, but his sensei, Gai, managed (Neji still doesn't know _how_ Gai had done it) to persuade him to have one. "You must have a bachelor party, Neji!" Gai had declared, grinning. "That is one of the pleasures a strong, virile youthful man such as you must have before you are wed!"

The party hadn't been so bad. Everyone got drunk, even Aburame Shino (who had started to dance, of all things). It would have gone well if Kiba hadn't invited Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Asuma. The party was halfway through when a huge box was brought in, a huge ribbon on top. Urged on by the crowd, Neji opened the box.

And out came three young women, naked as the day they were born.

Neji, Shino, Naruto, Lee, and Iruka had been frozen with shock, staring at the girls with blank, glazed looks in their eyes. It wasn't until the girls started dancing that they freaked out. Eventually, the girls were herded out (clothed, of course), the party broken up. In the end, Neji got a headache that lasted until the wedding ceremony.

Neji did not want that to happen again.

"Okay, I didn't invite them, so that will not happen again," Kiba hastily added when he saw the look on Hyuuga's face. Then he frowned when Neji's expression hardened. Glancing at where Neji was looking, Kiba's eyes widened when he saw what had caught the Hyuuga's expression.

Uchiha Sasuke was standing just a few feet away from them, ordering ramen in that cool voice of his. He appeared not to have seen them–no, Kiba realized, he had seen them–he just ignored them. Everyone in their group stopped what they were doing to observe the Uchiha in silence (except Chouji who kept on eating). When he turned away to leave, Lee said, "Uchiha-kun, chotto matte kudasai."

Sasuke stopped and turned to Lee. Face expressionless, he waited for Lee to speak. "How is Naruto-kun?" Lee asked.

A strange look entered Sasuke's eyes for a moment before it disappeared into onyx depths. "He is well," he answered in a deadpan voice.

"Good. Please tell him we'll be having a bachelor party for Shikamaru-kun later tonight. Both of you are invited to attend."

Sasuke's lips twisted into a small dark, amused smile when Kiba's eyes bugged out at Lee's invitation. "Is that so?"

Lee nodded. "Hai. So, please come."

Sasuke jerked a nod, turned his back to them, and walked away, not bothering to acknowledge the others.

"Are you crazy?" Kiba demanded of Lee in a low whisper. "Why did you invite that cold-hearted bastard? You know what he's like!"

"It is only polite that we invite him. Besides, Naruto will not attend if Sasuke is not invited," Lee said.

"Fine." Kiba sat back to his chair with a huff. "Now, where was I?"

As Kiba began to talk about the bachelor party, Neji's thoughts were still on the Uchiha and Naruto. The bachelor party would be the perfect time for Neji to have that 'little' talk with Sasuke. Now he had something to look forward to.

**T.B.C.**

**Author's notes, part 2:** Wehehehe! Sorry if we had to cut the chapter here. The next chapter is much, much more fun, believe me!

**The pregnancy:** I hope that was adequately explained. If you're wondering why we made Naruto stay in female form, well, we wanted the pregnancy easier on him. A man's body isn't suited for pregnancy, you know. Men don't have the body or bone structure to bear babies. XD No offense meant to other MPREG fics that made Naruto stay as a guy! XD

**Sasuke's reaction:** Sasuke's calm about it on the outside, but in the inside…more of Sasuke's thoughts on Naruto's pregnancy next chapter! See Sasuke go…crazy? XD

**On using 'she' in referring to Naruto:** Traditionally, in Naruto fandom, when Naruto's in Sexy no Jutsu for a long while, he's referred to as a she. And grammatically, 'she' (along with her and hers) is used to refer to the female gender, which is what Naruto is now. We refer to Naruto as 'she' or her because she's physically a girl.

**Next chapter:** What will happen at the bachelor party/ bridal shower? Pregnancy woes! How does Sasuke deal with a pregnant Naruto–the mood swings, the cravings, and morning sickness. Sasuke gets advice…from Neji? WTF? Gaara drops by for a visit. Oh, and can you say 'Orochimaru'?


	6. Chapter VI: Watching

**Disclaimer:** Though Naruto and I have the same birthday, I don't own him.

**Sasuke:** That's because I do.

**Naruto:** Hey!

**Authors' notes: Kawaii! **So many reviews! Thank you very much! However, the pregnancy woes part will be next chapter! But don't worry! The next chapter will come out in a week or so, I promise! Read on, read on! This is the chop-chop chapter, by the way!

**Warnings:** **MPREG**…Naruto in Sexy no Jutsu form. Yaoi. If you don't like this, run away.

**Pairings:** SasuNaru. KakaIru. Minor pairings include SakuLee, ShikaIno and NejiHina. XD

**Special thanks to:_ ILLK: _**_:pats ILLK at the back: I understand. Don't worry! Naruto should be back to his normal male form by chapter seven or eight. So just hang in there! Thank you for reading!_

_**Bhodi li:** Yes, Sasuke is still the iceberg we all know and…love? Sasuke POV? There's plenty of that here!_

_**BlueStar123:** The lingerie shop probably unnerved Naruto more than his pregnancy did…_

_**Lady-Frisselle:** Ah! You again:grin: Thanks for the cookie!_

_**SuzuSparrow:** Hmm…we'll see…:grin: Thanks for reading._

_**Azereath:** Thank you. I'm happy you liked this fic._

_**Thirteeth Spider:** No, don't kill them! We'll just…torture them. :evil grin:_

_**Psychopyro16:** Eheheheheheheheehehehehe…to you too! XD_

_**LadyRed06:** Thank you for so many reviews! Well, we love to torture Sasuke…so…XD_

_**Jewelclaw Lady of Wind:** Their reaction…will be priceless. XD_

_**Chara-chara:** A boy? Or twins? We'll see. And yes, this will be very exciting. _

_**Shinigami Lupin:** Well, this chapter will be VERY long, so I have granted your wish! XD_

_**Neferset:** We're writing as fast as we can! Here's the next chapter!_

_**Pixy:** Thank you. Here is the update!_

_**Silverblueenchantress:** Here's the update! _

_**Garu-daisuki:** It's Hinata. That's why it's NejiHina. Aoi Arashi means, roughly, blue storm, I think. XD_

_**CatCuriosityKilledMe:** Not really a genius…just pervy. XD_

_**Lily Avalon:** After you've read this, it's going to be pooor Sasuke…at least! _

_**Natalie:** Ahhh…sorry! We're a bit busy with schoolwork, plus my computer went bust! The next update will be faster, I promise!_

_**Dragon Girl:** Well, here's more!_

_**Animecrazer1:** Thanks:grin:_

_**Sanjuno Shori:** Mew! Thanks!_

_**Liliath:** Thank you! The YnM story will be updated soon, I promise! XD_

_**Luna Catgirl:** Well, we've updated! XD I miss you!_

_**Riekoish:** Uh…the guys probably gave them their coats or better yet, they summoned some clothes…XD_

_**Sue:** hahaha…it's going to be…morbid, I tell you. XD_

_**Rosemarykiss:** Well, here's the update…uhm…you don't really have to do that, you know. _

_**Bookworm51487**: Thank you. XD_

This is for **Lady-Frisselle**.

**Chapter VI: Watching**

Sasuke strode towards his and Naruto's apartment with deadly grace, take-out ramen in one hand. He ignored the curious looks given to him by bystanders. He had grown used to them, and frankly, he didn't care what they thought of him.

He pulled his coat closer to his body as another cold wind swept past him, dusting him with snow. As he moved to brush the offending flakes off his coat, their color reminded him of Hyuuga Neji's eyes. He frowned at the thought of the Hyuuga.

Of all of Naruto's friends, the Hyuuga disturbed Sasuke the most. He knew Neji was close to Naruto, and more than once, Naruto had told him that the Hyuuga was sort of the 'big brother he never had'. With his past experiences with his own big brother, Sasuke was not unnaturally unsettled by the thought.

Though Sasuke appeared to ignore the presence of the others whenever they got together with Naruto, Sasuke didn't miss anything–didn't miss the contempt in their eyes, especially the Hyuuga's. If it weren't for Naruto's sake, he would have never bothered with them in the first place–or would have killed them at first sight.

As Sasuke made his way through Konoha's snow-covered streets, he thought of the invitation for Nara Shikamaru's bachelor party. He inwardly smirked at the look in the Inuzuka's eyes when Lee gave him the invitation. They probably invited him for Naruto's sake than any real desire for his company. _They'd rather drink poison than spend time with me._

Sasuke quietly opened the door when he arrived at his and Naruto's apartment. Making his way to the living room, he froze at the sight before him.

Naruto, in his female form, was sprawled on the couch, sleeping. Strewn all over the floor were numerous plastic bags and assorted packages of clothes and whatnots. _What the hell did the dobe and the Hokage do? Buy the whole store?_ Sasuke thought in bemusement.

Putting the ramen on a table, Sasuke carefully picked his way through the maze of packages and sat beside Naruto, watching the blonde sleep. Naruto's now long blonde hair fell limply on the couch. Sasuke pushed one lock away from the whiskered face. Naruto shifted at the touch, mumbling, "Sasuuukeeee…. Rameeen." Sasuke frowned at that, not pleased to be connected to ramen. Then he smiled slightly. Ramen was one of the things Naruto loved the most. _I suppose I should at least be happy I'm associated with ramen._

His eyes traveled over Naruto's body, mentally comparing how different female Naruto was from the real male Naruto. Because of the pregnancy, Sasuke would be seeing the female Naruto for quite a while. It wasn't really that bad. Male or female, Naruto was the same–loud, obnoxious, determined, loyal, and compassionate person they all know and love.

It still amazed Sasuke sometimes at how Naruto stayed with him. Sasuke hadn't been…good in the past. He was well aware of his betrayal. He was aware of the horrible things he had done while he was with Orochimaru, aware of how much he had hurt Naruto. Naruto was aware of it too, having been a witness to several of Sasuke's autocracies in the course of his quest to 'bring Sasuke back home'. _Yet, you chose to remain by my side, and even bear my child…what did I do deserve someone like you, Naruto?_

At the thought of the pregnancy, his hand fell on Naruto's flat stomach, as if trying to feel the growing life within Naruto. "You're carrying my child_. Our child,_" Sasuke said softly to himself with wonder in his voice. It seemed so surreal. Yesterday, Naruto had tried to run away. Now, Naruto was pregnant. In a few months' time, they were going to be parents. Everything was happening so fast.

Sasuke was not even sure if he was ready to be a parent. He still wanted to get stronger, and he still wanted to kill his brother. Having a child made things more difficult for him.

Sasuke's thumb made small circles on Naruto's stomach as he went through the conversation in the Hokage's office. He had suspected when Kakashi asked about protection. He had realized that Naruto was probably pregnant when they went home from the check-up with Tsunade. The thought of Naruto possibly carrying his child overwhelmed him so much that he had embraced Naruto. He had long given up on his goal to revive his clan; he had never thought–

A slight moan broke through Sasuke's thoughts–that, and the feel of Naruto thrashing beside him.

* * *

_Naruto found himself amidst fire and death._

_It was a dream; he knew it as soon as he realized he was back in his male form. Or maybe his pregnancy had been the dream, and this was reality. _

_Konohagakure was burning before his very eyes, its buildings razed to the very ground. Thick, black smoke rose into the darkness of the night and filled the air, making Naruto choke and his eyes water. Dead bodies littered the ground, the sickly-sweet smell of crisp, burnt flesh almost caused Naruto to retch. Naruto dared not look at them, fearing he would recognize one. All of the bodies were hideously burned. Some were even in several pieces._

_He made his way towards the town square, just near the tree with the swing, where he spent most of his time as a child. The Ninja Academy was in ruins, burned to the ground. The tree with the old tire swing was burning, flames licking its leaves. To his utter surprise, a young man two or three years younger than him stood under the tree, his back towards Naruto. He was tall, almost to Naruto's height. The young man's short hair glowed red in the fire's light. He felt like someone Naruto knew, but at the same time, he was a stranger. The young man seemed to be looking at the destruction around him calmly. Naruto walked up to him. He clamped a hand on the young man's shoulders. The young man turned, but before Naruto could see his face, darkness came over him._

* * *

"Naruto! Dobe, wake up!" Sasuke's sharp voice and pale face greeted Naruto when she opened her eyes. Naruto felt the Uchiha shake her again, harder this time, fingers digging into her shoulders. "Naruto!"

"Sa–Sasuke!" Naruto exclaimed. "Stop shaking me. I'm awake!" Naruto peered at Sasuke, then glanced around the room, almost half-fearful that the dream had been true. Unconsciously, Naruto's hands went to her breasts, almost groping them, relieved that they were there. _So…it was just a dream…_

Sasuke saw what Naruto was doing to her breasts and glanced away for a moment. "You were moaning and trashing, dobe. Bad dream?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, closing her eyes briefly. "I dreamed Konoha burned around me. And there was this guy who just stood there and watched. I didn't see his face though." Naruto narrowed her eyes. "Did you just call me 'dobe'? I'm carrying your kid, you know. Be a little nicer." Naruto sniffed the air. "Do I smell ramen?"

"I bought some." Sasuke started when Naruto flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Ramen, ramen! Sasuke bought me rameeeen!" Naruto chanted.

"Let go, Naruto. I can't breathe." The tight grip around his neck loosened. Sasuke glanced at the packages. "How much stuff did you and the Hokage buy?"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Well, a lot. Tsunade-baba insisted, and she paid for most of it." Naruto pouted. "She was really weird. She even made me go to a lingerie store. Then we went to all those stores and tried all those clothes! Gah!" Naruto waved her hands about in agitation. "How can girls enjoy shopping? It was torture, Sasuke! My feet hurt, my hands hurt, my back hurts, my head hurts–every part of my body hurts. Ahhhhh…I need a hot bath, but Tsunade-baba told me I'll have to be careful taking them for a while because the temperature change might hurt the baby!" Naruto blinked when the blonde saw the blank look in Sasuke's eyes. Waving a hand in front of the Uchiha, Naruto said, "Sasuke? Are you listening, you bastard?"

Sasuke, whose mind went blank at the mention of 'lingerie store', quickly regained his composure. "Come on," he said, sounding irritated. "The ramen is cooling." Sasuke stood up, but he didn't get far. Naruto grabbed his hand. "What is it, Naruto?"

Naruto glanced up at Sasuke, blue eyes wide, making Naruto look very vulnerable at that moment. "I just want to thank you for everything. You know, for taking all of this so well, for letting me stay by your side despite everything."

Sasuke's eyes widened at Naruto's words. Didn't the dobe realize…."Stop that, Naruto. You don't need to do that. You know what you are to me." He gave the blond a meaningful look.

Naruto blushed, suddenly remembering what Sasuke had said moments before they made love yesterday. Then Naruto grinned. "Yosh! Now let's get to that ramen!"

* * *

"A bachelor party?" Naruto froze at the act of putting some noodles into her mouth. Both of them where in the kitchen, eating the ramen Sasuke had bought. Sasuke had just finished telling Naruto about the invitation to Shikamaru's bachelor party. "Did Dog-boy organize this again? Last time he did, it was a disaster." Naruto shuddered at the thought of the strippers. That experience scarred him for life. "Anyway, I won't be there, because I'm a girl now, and Tsunade-baba managed to get me invited into Ino's bridal shower."

Sasuke raised a slender black eyebrow at that. Naruto scrunched her face into a look of disgust. "We met Hinata-chan and Sakura-chan one of the stores. The old hag introduced me as her niece! Ha! Do I look like I'm related to her?" Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Sakura-chan thought we looked alike, though."

Sasuke decided not to comment on that. "So you're going to the bridal shower?"

"I have to. But you're going to Shikamaru's bachelor party, too!"

Sasuke gave him an 'are-you-stupid?' look.

Naruto turned puppy-eyes on the Uchiha. "But one of us has to go there! It would be impolite if you didn't. I can't go, but you can! Please, Sasuke!"

Sasuke just gave him another 'you-are-a-moron' look. But Naruto's gaze never wavered. Finally, Sasuke said, "Fine. But don't blame me if anything bad happens to your friends."

Naruto flung herself at Sasuke, sending them falling on the floor. "Ah, you're so nice to me, Sasuke-kun!" Naruto grinned at her annoyed lover. "Now I'm not the only one who's going to suffer!"

"Get off me, dobe." Sasuke grunted. Gods, was it his imagination or was Naruto getting heavier? He hoped Naruto wouldn't make this so much of a habit when she was further into the pregnancy.

Naruto quickly complied and scrambled up, then went back to eating ramen.

Sasuke stood up and glanced at Naruto, eyes narrowing in memory of what Tsunade said. Naruto would be very vulnerable during the pregnancy, and though he was sure Tsunade would do everything in her power to help Naruto, Sasuke was not assured.

It didn't help that there was Orochimaru and Itachi to worry about. Sasuke's vision went red at the thought of the two. Since Sasuke had come back to Konohagakure, there had been several attempts by Orochimaru to get him back to Sound. The Akatsuki had also attempted to kidnap Naruto while Sasuke was still with Orochimaru. The mention of Orochimaru also made Sasuke remember something he had almost forgotten.

"There's something else you should know. It's about the shinobis that attacked us a few days ago."

"Eh? What about them?" The truth was, Naruto barely gave a thought of those shinobi. Naruto had been too preoccupied with Sasuke's health then the pregnancy to care.

"They're from Sound." Sasuke's lips tightened into a grim line. "They weren't wearing any forehead protectors, but I recognized the jutsus they used." Being Orochimaru's protégé, Sasuke was always present when Orochimaru inspected his shinobi or when the snake master watched their training. "They were probably waiting for an opportunity to take me back, or they were trying to kill you."

"Oh." Naruto took a deep breath as she took in the news. Orochimaru knew Naruto was the one that kept Sasuke from him, and if Naruto died….

"Don't worry," Sasuke said, breaking through his thoughts. There was look of intense determination on his face. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or the child."

* * *

"Na, what do you think of those two?" The silver-haired jounin asked the man beside him as he continued to trace lazy patterns on the younger man's bare stomach with his fingers.

"Hmm…?" the chuunin sleepily hummed in reply, enjoying the relaxing warmth the older man's ministrations were giving him.

"Oi, don't sleep on me here! I'm asking something serious…" He stopped his tracing and poked the younger chuunin lightly to emphasize his point, earning him a slightly annoyed look.

Iruka could just sigh as Kakashi grinned at his reaction. "I know… but, what are you asking?" He looked up at the jounin and gave him one of his trademark gentle smiles.

Kakashi swore he was starting to melt… and then have that strange urge to replace that smile with one of those shy, blushing ones Iruka gave him every time they'd—

He shook his head. No… wait… they just did… and he promised not to go for a second round today too… but how Iruka managed to get him to promise that, was somehow a blurry memory in his head… hey, maybe since he forgot why, he could easily get away with—

"Kakashi…?"

"Huh? Wha?" Iruka had himself propped up on his right arm, his left hand paused in mid-wave in front of the distracted jounin's face.

"Mou! I've been waving my hand in front of your eyes for the past five seconds and you weren't even responding! And what's with that grin!" He had that I'm-worried-and-I-know-you're-thinking-_bad_-things-again look on his face.

The jounin couldn't help but chuckle slightly. Iruka was really cute every time he'd look that way, and now, he was pouting too!

Kakashi smiled up at him as he reached a hand to smooth out the crease on Iruka's brow.

"You _really_ wanna know?" his eyes were now in their trademark up-curve… but strangely, Iruka wasn't blushing.

"Yeah… but only after you tell me what it is you were asking me about in the first place..." Now it was the chuunin who had that triumphant smile on his face.

"Eh?" The jounin stared up at his lover. Did he just miss something here? Did his cute little dolphin just agree to a second round!

He was about to pin Iruka to the bed again when the chuunin suddenly moved back and sat up, avoiding the flip entirely, that is, also making the sheets fall dangerously low.

"Kakashi!" Iruka looked at him sternly, left hand poised on his waist for emphasis, his other hand supporting him so he won't fall back into bed.

The silver-haired man flopped onto the empty spot atop the pillows. A muffled curse was heard as he sighed and positioned himself so that his head rested on his arms as he lay on his stomach, with his back to Iruka. "I was asking about _those_ two…" he paused and waited for the chuunin to answer.

Iruka uttered a soft 'oh' and shifted his weight to turn his whole body halfway, so he was sitting Indian-sit to face Kakashi's side. "Hmm… honestly, I dunno…" he trailed off lightly, concern tracing his words.

"That's why I'm asking you… since you've been the one closest to Naruto…I was just thinking if he's ever told you anything, or just if you'd approved of Naruto being with Sasuke…or not…and now they're going to have a kid…." He had almost whispered the question. Maybe because he'd always known Iruka was really overprotective of the kid and wouldn't want to let anyone hurt him and all. That, and the fact that Iruka had fainted at the announcement of Naruto's pregnancy.

Iruka was silent, a few short 'hmm's came before he found the words he was looking for. "Naruto… he's never really… well, at least not told me anything about him and Sasuke… but somehow, I've noticed it, I guess even before Naruto himself did…." He paused and waited if the jounin had anything more to ask as follow up, or to prod him on. When nothing came, he continued, "He seems happy with Sasuke and Sasuke seems…happy with him. And as for them having a kid, well…I know they're too young for it, but I know they'd take the responsibility of having a child very seriously–especially Naruto. Naruto loves kids, you know. Sasuke's another matter. Sasuke a little too…dedicated with certain things, and with a child…but I'm sure Naruto would balance things out. Naruto's good at that."

At this Iruka smiled, he sounded like some mom talking about her child. "But, no matter, Naruto looks like he's already decided about it, and knowing Naruto, he doesn't just go on deciding without really thinking about it. And I mean this on both Sasuke and the baby." At this, the chuunin had a really proud smile on his face, and Kakashi had turned over just in time to see it. "Oh, and why did you ask if I'd approved?" Iruka had tilted his head a little with the follow-up.

The jounin scratched his head absently. "I'm not really sure… I guess it's because you looked like the one with the 'mother hen' complex…." he grinned up at Iruka.

The chuunin raised an eyebrow, "Oh really?" and leaned in close…

And even before the jounin could do anything in response, the younger man was already ravishing him in a kiss and straddling his waist—which his mind didn't immediately register until Iruka broke the kiss and started nipping at the side of his neck, making him gasp… His lovely, lovely dolphin was turning seme! Wait… So did this mean that the reason why Iruka made him promise not to go for seconds was because his dolphin was planning on turning seme today!

His thoughts were abruptly halted when Iruka's left hand started to trail down… He hadn't even noticed that Iruka had shifted positions too!

"O-oi! Cho-chotto-!" Kakashi made a grab for Iruka's wrist, but not fast enough to stop the chuunin's fast reflexes as he caught Kakashi's wrists and pinned both the jounin's wrists above his head.

Iruka grinned at his silver-haired lover's surprised reaction as he started to bind his wrists with the bandage he had snuck under the pillow and proceeded to tack them securely to the headboard with a kunai.

And through all this, Kakashi could only gape as the tables were turned right before his very eyes...

* * *

Sasuke raised his hand to knock on the Nara's door. However, he hesitated and dropped it again. This went on for a few more times until a light tap on his shoulder distracted him.

"Anou… Sasuke-san… Why won't you come in?"

Sasuke decided not to answer. He knew Rock Lee was just being polite. He was certain the other knew exactly why he was hesitating.

"Let's go in," the taijutsu specialist motioned for Sasuke to follow as he brushed past the other boy. Lee went straight to one of the couches to chat amicably with the others. It seems that everyone was already there, apart from Kiba and Shikamaru.

The Uchiha chose to settle into one corner of the room, as he always did in their younger days. He knew he wasn't welcome there, especially now… So imagine his surprise when Hyuuga Neji got up from his seat and approached him.

"Uchiha," he addressed him, "where's Naruto?"

Of course. He should have known. Nobody there would even attempt to look at him, much less talk to him unless it was about Naruto.

"Godaime Hokage gave him a long-term mission," he answered, knowing better than not to give the Hyuuga what the latter wanted.

Neji frowned. "How long will the mission last?"

"About nine months or so…"

Kiba chose that moment to drag a blindfolded Shikamaru in, grinning insanely. "Don't worry so much, genius! We've got a lot planned out just for you!"

_You mean YOU'VE got a lot planned out_, the others thought, though nobody voiced it out.

Kiba was about to open his mouth again to announce something when the door was blasted open and shinobis came in, engaging them in combat.

"SOUND!" Sasuke yelled. _What the fuck are they doing here?_

Unfortunately for the foreign nins, they picked the wrong bunch to attack. They were dead even before they realized it.

Neji surveyed the surroundings using the Byakugan. Finally deeming it safe, he deactivated his bloodline limit. "Is everyone okay?" he queried.

Seeing their nods, he turned to Sasuke. "Did they come for you?" he asked, not even bothering to hide his distrust.

"I don't know. Probably."

Shikamaru looked at his destroyed furniture. "Ch'. Cleaning up this mess will be too troublesome."

"The girls!" Lee exclaimed, "What if they also got attacked?"

Sasuke's heart almost stopped. _Naruto!_

He immediately followed the green beast's successor to Ino's house, worrying about Naruto, disregarding for a moment that his lover was perfectly capable of protecting herself.

* * *

"Wow! This is so cool!" Sakura squealed, "We haven't done this in, like, forever!"

The girls agreed, with the exemption of Naruto. _What the hell are they talking about? What do they do in bridal showers anyway?_

Seeing the blonde's bewildered expression, Sakura immediately realized her mistake.

"Oh… Everyone, this is Aoi-chan. She's Hokage-sama's niece. Aoi-chan, that's Tenten and Ino-pig. Of course, you already know Hinata-chan here," she introduced the blonde, ignoring her best friend's rage over her exposed nickname.

Naruto smiled and bowed politely. "Yoroshiku, minna-san."

Done with the pleasantries, the kunoichis decided to get down to business.

"So, what's the latest scoop on you, Tenten?"

Naruto sweatdropped. _They just gossip about their love lives? Oh, the torture!_ She decided to spare herself the pain and tuned them all out. She was doing a very good job of it, too. That is, until she heard her original name, as well as Sasuke's.

"W-what was that?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, that's right," Ino spoke up, "Aoi-chan doesn't know about those two."

Sakura decided to relay everything about the pair to the newcomer. Naruto, on the other hand, was quite amused. It felt weird to be told about you and your lover's story.

When Sakura was in the middle of telling her about Sasuke running away, the said person almost came crashing through the door and headed straight to 'Aoi'.

Realizing that nothing horrible happened, Sasuke heaved a sigh of relief. "Yokatta…" He then embraced Naruto.

By then, all the guys had arrived. And they, along with the clueless girls, stared long and hard at the scene before them. _How could he betray Naruto like this? The bastard!_

Inuzuka growled and extended his claws. Shino let his bugs swarm restlessly. Lee adjusted his bandages with a frown. Chouji opened up a bag of chips with narrowed eyes. Shikamaru's lazy expression vanished and his shadow flickered menacingly. The veins near Neji's eyes were pulsing with chakra.

The Hyuuga's glare never wavered. However, the unfamiliar girl's chakra caught his attention. He frowned. _That's weird…_

Suddenly, recognition dawned on him and he grabbed the Uchiha's collar.

"You ungrateful bastard! After everything that Naruto did for you… You disgust me." He was about to punch him when Aoi settled herself between them with pleading blue eyes.

"Ch'," Neji cursed. "Move aside, miss. I refuse to lay a hand on a pregnant woman."

Silence reigned in the room.

"**WHAT?"**

**T.B.C.**

**Author's notes, part 2:** And so the plot moves forth! Yes! And NO!

**Chibi-onna1:** Anou… I wrote the bachelor party and bridal shower. And I'm sorry this came out very late!

**Twisted-sheets:** More Sasuke torture next chapter!

**Sasuke:** You two seem to be intent in torturing me. :Sharingan eyes flash: Would you like me to do the same to you?

**Chibi-onna1 and Twisted-sheets:** If you do that, WE'LL let Orochimaru-kun and Itachi-kun get Naru-chan…

**Sasuke:** Ch'. I'll get you someday.

**Naruto: **Hey, no picking on my siblings!

**Twisted-sheets:** Actually, Naruto and I share the same mom…

**Chibi-onna1:** And my otouto and I have Daddy Yondie!

**Twisted-sheets:** :nods:

**Shopping:** In truth, I, twisted-sheets, am not a good shopper. I am too impatient. I have little fashion sense. Chibi-onna1 and Luna Catgirl have great sense of style, though. XD

**Sasuke's reaction:** We've been getting comments on how Sasuke is so 'cold' in this fic. The thing is, he IS still the walking ice block we all know and love, but this time, he is a bit 'warmer' because of Naruto. He only shows this warm side to Naruto, and on some occasions, to Sakura (the only reason Sasuke even bothered to listen to Lee last chapter was because Lee's Sakura's boyfriend/fiancé). After all, this Sasuke went to Orochimaru and stayed with him for a year before Naruto persuaded him to come back. It's still not revealed what he did in that single year with Orochimaru, be we have given clues in this chapter, so you can guess what he did.

**Of proposals and marriages:** Some of you readers have been asking if Sasuke and Naruto are going to get married. In my opinion, I really don't see the need for them to get married. They love each other to death and have a lifelong commitment to each other. They're going to have a kid. However, I'm not completely scratching the idea out. Who knows? Maybe in a future chapter…XD

**Next chapter:** Damn! As Naruto's due date draws near, Sasuke's getting increasingly nervous. The parents-to-be talk about baby names, the baby's possible gender, and moving back to the Uchiha mansion. Oh, and did I say that Naruto's going to give birth in that chapter too?


	7. Chapter VII: Waiting

**Disclaimer:** Naruto belongs to Sasuke. The plot of this fanfiction, however, belongs to us! US! YOU HEAR? XD

**Authors' notes: **Here is it! The pregnancy woes part! We've divided this chapter by months. XD And Naruto gives birth in this chapter! HURRAH! We apologize for any spelling errors. My (twisted-sheets') keyboard is an ass. Awwwww. VERY, VERY LOOOOONG chapter ahead! You've been warned!

**Roll call of the authors: _Twisted sheets_- **the main villain. She thought of the main plot. SasuNaru addict.

**_Chibi-onna1_**- Wrote the extremely funny bachelor party/bridal shower. The beta-reader. NaruSasu addict.

**_Luna Catgirl_**- KakaIru addict. XD Now in Canada. Beloved pet. Plushie master. We miss you!

**_Mooguri Klaine_**- Artist extraordinaire. Rock Lee fanatic. High Priestess of the Phallic Tree.

**_Thirteenth-spider_**- Omake specialist. Baby of the group. XD Loves Kurapika of Hunter x Hunter.

**Warnings:** **MPREG**…Naruto in Sexy no Jutsu form. Yaoi. Lemons. Ice cream. If you don't like this, run away.

**Pairings:** **SasuNaru**. KakaIru. Minor pairings include SakuLee, ShikaIno and NejiHina. XD

**Special thanks to:_ Moon-n-Universe-Goddess:_**_ Thank you. I'm glad you liked it! XD_

_**Firehedgehog:** Long time no see! Thank you!_

_**ILLK:** Well, Naruto is in female form…it's the hormones that make Naruto act that way. Estrogen can do wonders with your attitude. Not to mention Naruto's pregnant. Naruto will be back in his male form NEXT chapter…FINALLY:faints from the sheer hell of writing Naruto as a girl:_

_**LadyRed06:** Thank you. Beat up…we'll see._

_It's the smiley person again:grin: Awkward would be an understatement. You'll see._

_**Manga-lover123:** Thank you. Read on to find out! XD_

_**Hunter Hatake:** Thank you. XD_

_**Sentai:** Thanks! XD_

_**Light of Fallen Darkness:** Cool name. Yes, Neji is very concerned with Naruto. I want a big brother like NEJI!_

_**The Shadows Hide All:** :still being shaken: Uuuuuhhhh…weeeee'veeeee uuuuupdated! XD _

_**Azamiko:** Thank you. Very gushy Sasuke is bad. Very bad. XD_

_**Bookworm51485:** You get your wish! This is a VERY LONG chapter. We don't argue. We compromise._

_**Shinigami Lupin:** Why is your name familiar…hmmm…:looks at the shuriken worriedly: You do know that if you hit me with that, I won't be able to write…XD _

_**Just as Fan:** Updated as fast as I can! XD_

_**YJ:** Calm down. Deep breaths…deep, deep breaths…_

_**Escelphius:** Uhmmm…don't hit the table so hard…XD That could hurt. Thank you very much. XD _

_**Millia Rage:** Read on to find out! We updated as soon as we can!_

_**Ck:** Thank you very much. Sasuke-kun was very hard to write. Especially for this fic!_

_**Sanjuno Shori Niko:** Yeah, Neji's no fun at all! XD Spoiling it like that…_

_**Lily Avalon:** Haha…here's the next chapter!_

This is for **Nat-kun**. A very talented artist, this young man. XD You'll be seeing his works soon! XD

**Chapter VII: Waiting**

Damn.

That was the only word in Naruto's mind as the blonde looked at the outraged–no, murderous–glares her friends were giving Sasuke. Glancing at Sasuke, Naruto saw that the Uchiha looked pissed as well.

If looks could kill, Naruto's friends would be dead by now. _Oh, wait…looks _can_ kill. Sasuke has the Sharingan. The Mangekyou Sharingan. Mangekyou Sharingan equals Tsukiyomi. Tsukiyomi equals–_

Naruto inwardly winced at the thought. Damn it, why did Sasuke and the others have to go barging into the party? And damn Neji's Byakugan! Did he have to announce to everyone that Naruto was pregnant?

"Let go of me, Hyuuga." Sasuke's cold voice brought Naruto out of her musings. Neji still held Sasuke's collar in a death grip, his fist poised to pound Sasuke's face into a pulp. Sasuke's fingers gave only the barest of twitches, but Naruto could tell Sasuke was ready to punch the crap out of Neji, too.

Naruto opened her mouth to speak, but Sakura beat her to it. "How could you do this to Naruto, Sasuke? He loves you, he gave everything to you, and you get Aoi-chan pregnant!" Sakura glared at Sasuke, then at 'Aoi-chan'. "The Hokage's niece, of all people!"

Naruto groaned. Naruto was oddly touched that her friends would defend her, but at the same time, Naruto was irritated. _Geez, do they think that low of Sasuke?_ "Stop it!" Naruto shouted, glaring back at Neji. "Let go of Sasuke, Neji!"

Neji's pale Byakugan eyes flickered at Naruto, then back at Sasuke. With a low curse, he released the Uchiha. "This isn't over, Uchiha," Neji warned in a low voice. Sasuke remained impassive, his face revealing nothing. Sasuke mover closer to Naruto and put his hand at the small of the blonde's back.

"I said stop it!" Naruto snapped. "Sasuke didn't betray Naruto!"

"Getting you pregnant when he's supposed to be with Naruto is strangely akin to betrayal," Shikamaru drawled. Naruto glared at him as well.

"Argh! Yes, Sasuke did get me pregnant," he ignored the collective angry gasp from the girls, "but this is as much as my fault as his and he didn't betray Naruto because," Naruto took a deep breath, "I AM Naruto."

Silence reigned in the room.

"WHAT! That can't be! You're a_ GIRL_! Naruto's a _guy_!" Kiba pointed out.

"What foolishness is this?" Neji demanded. Behind him, the girls had shocked looks on their faces.

_Oh, crap,_ Naruto thought. How was she going to explain this? Nobody in this room (except Sasuke) had ever seen his Sexy no Jutsu form. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who only stared back at him. Dammit! This was NOT how Naruto planned to tell her friends about her pregnancy!

"Naruto?" Sakura said hesitantly, stepping forward to touch Naruto's cheeks, smearing her fingertips with the make-up Naruto wore to conceal her whiskers. Naruto felt hope blossom in her heart. He'd almost forgotten that Sakura sort of knew about Sexy no Jutsu.

"Sakura, you can't possibly think–" Ino stopped, and then stared hard at Naruto, eyes narrowing.

Sakura continued to touch Naruto's cheek. "I remember Konohamaru, after Naruto returned from training with Jiraiya-sama, showed us a perverted jutsu he learned from Naruto. I think he called it Sexy no Jutsu…and he transformed into a naked girl…." Sakura blushed at the memory.

"Sexy no Jutsu is NOT perverted!" Naruto sniffed, peeved. "It's a great jutsu! I defeated the Sandaime Hokage and that closet pervert, Ebisu, with that jutsu!"

The others stared hard at Naruto. "Now that I think about it, she _does _look like some female version of Naruto," Shikamaru murmured.

"It is ME! I'm Naruto!" Naruto rubbed off the make-up on her face with her fists, revealing the whisker scars underneath. Then, Naruto, in a moment of desperation, pulled up her pajama top, revealing the spiral seal on her stomach. "See? I have the seal!"

Naruto's friends glanced at the seal. They have seen the spiral seal on Naruto's stomach before and knew what its purpose. When someone hung around Naruto for a long time, they _do_ notice the 'weird' stuff about the blonde, and the spiral seal and the demon it held at bay was beyond the norms of weird.

Then they glanced back at Naruto, a wild look in their eyes as comprehension dawned on them.

"You're–you're Naruto," Hinata whispered.

"And…you're…pregnant," Sakura added.

Behind them, Kiba fell down in a dead faint. Shino and his bugs retreated. Lee's jaw was wide open. Neji's eyes twitched. Shikamaru's eyes widened while Chouji dropped his bag of chips.

Naruto stepped back, aware of impending explosion.

"_**WHAT THE HELL! YOU'RE PREGNANT?" **_

"SHHH!" Naruto hissed. "Not so loud! No one's supposed to know!"

"But-but, that's impossible! You're a guy!" Kiba said, pointing a shaky finger at Naruto. "Guys don't get pregnant! They can't!"

"Do I look like a guy right now?" Naruto asked, thrusting out her chest for emphasis. "And I wasn't guy when I got pregnant," Naruto muttered. "I'm stuck in this form until I give birth."

Kiba poked Naruto's breast with a finger. "Hmmm…this _does _feel real."

Shino prudently stepped aside as the Inuzuka went flying across the room from Naruto's uppercut.

"This is going to be very…troublesome," Shikamaru said. His head ached from all of the shouting and the mere thought of Naruto pregnant.

"How did you manage to get preg–" Ino looked at Naruto, then at a now glowering Sasuke. "Okay, maybe I don't want to know."

Naruto blushed from embarrassment. Naruto did not want to tell them just how she ended up stuck in this form or how she got pregnant. From the pinkish cast on his friends' faces, Naruto could tell they already had a good idea how she ended up this way. "No, trust me, you don't want to know."

There was another moment of silence as they struggled with the fact that Naruto was now a girl _and _pregnant. Then their gazes shifted to Sasuke, who was smirking at them. Oh.

"Anou," Sakura began, aware that they had horribly misjudged the Uchiha. "Sasuke-kun–"

Sasuke cut her off with an icy glare. The Uchiha clearly did not give a damn what they thought of him or for their apologies. Sasuke then turned to Naruto. "We should go back and send word to the Hokage. Sound nins attacked us just a while ago. Again."

"WHAT?" the girls shouted. "Why–"

"They were probably after Uchiha-san," Neji's cool voice cut through the babble like sword through suet. His eyes fell on Naruto, who paled at the mention of Sound. "I assume that is why you're in disguise, Naruto."

Naruto nodded. "The old ha–I mean the Hokage thought it would be better that I kept my true identity a secret. After all, I'm pregnant, and Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are still after Sasuke and I. Who knows what they'd do if they found out I'm carrying Sasuke's kid?"

The others nodded. Then, with a hesitant smile, Hinata said, "Congratulations, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-san. If you need anything, just come to me. I'll be able to help, I'm sure."

Naruto embraced Hinata, relieved that her friends accepted her pregnancy. "Thanks, Hinata-chan! I'm definitely going to need a lot of help with this!"

"And we'll help you, too!" Ino, Sakura, and Ten-ten said at the same time. Naruto tensed. She knew that cheerful tone. Naruto groaned. "Uh…."

"A baby shower! We'd have one!" Ino suggested, face glowing with enthusiasm.

"Your baby's going to be so cute!" Sakura squealed.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other with knowing looks, and then winced. This was going to be a long, long night.

* * *

Amidst this event, a pair of eyes, undetected by those in the Yamanaka house, watched and listened to them. A sly smile curved up his lips, the disappeared with a faint puff of smoke.

* * *

Naruto's pregnancy was easier to conceal from the villagers than they thought. Most accepted the excuse that Naruto was on a long-term mission, and that the blonde girl seen around Tsunade was really her niece of sorts. It was so easy that it sometimes made Naruto heartsick to think how easily he could be shunned from the villagers' thoughts. However, the villagers' apparent unconcern for Naruto did not diminish the blonde's growing excitement over the pregnancy.

Pregnancy has long been regarded as a joyous and momentous time in the lives of humans. However, those who regard pregnancy as such forgot to mention that pregnancy was also an arduous, difficult, and dangerous time in the lives of humans. Many women may be suited for pregnancy, but there were always exception to the rules. Naruto had always led a life that was an exception to the rules, so it had not been much of a surprise to those who know the blonde that his/her pregnancy would be somewhat of an exception to the rules, too.

_**First Month**_

Sasuke expected this. The books he had read had warned him, after all, and by the warnings he got from others, he knew he would suffer.

However, it still made him feel somewhat foolish. Here he was at three in the morning at the local 24-hour open store looking for a pint of strawberry ice cream, dressed in his sleeping robes. Sasuke silently cursed the hormonal upheavals that made pregnant people have unusual cravings.

Naruto had woken him up in the middle of the night, demanding that she wanted strawberry ice cream NOW, and if she didn't, she'd absolutely die–or Sasuke would be sleeping in the couch for the whole course of the pregnancy.

Sasuke could refuse, of course, but sleeping in the hard, lumpy couch for nine months would be uncomfortable, not to mention unhealthy. So after an hour or so of pleadings, tears, threats, and puppy dog eyes, Sasuke went to the store to buy strawberry ice cream. He supposed he should be grateful that Naruto had not asked for something more exotic, like ostrich eggs or barbequed camel.

"Uchiha."

Sasuke stiffened at the voice. He didn't bother to look behind him. "Hyuuga," he growled. He continued to look for the ice cream.

However, Hyuuga Neji refused to be ignored. "How is Naruto?"

"Well," was the Uchiha's curt reply.

"Looking for strawberry ice cream?" When Sasuke didn't reply, Neji said, "There's one underneath the chocolate flavor to your right."

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked, his voice ten times colder than the temperature in the freezer. He turned, a little startled to see Neji in his sleeping clothes as well. The Hyuuga held a bag filled with instant ramen in one hand.

"A few words with you, outside." Neji seemed amused about something, but Sasuke wasn't sure. "After you've paid for the ice cream, of course."

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked again once they were outside the store and out of anyone's earshot.

There was a brief silence, then, Neji asked, "Are you prepared to be a father, Uchiha?"

"That is none of your concern," Sasuke replied, a thread of anger in his voice.

"If it concerns Naruto, it concerns me as well." Neji ignored the glare Sasuke gave him and stared at the Uchiha straight in the eyes. "Do you understand what being a father means? You will not have the same freedom as you did before. You will be unable to pursue some of your goals before as you will now how a family, a child, to consider."

Furious, Sasuke's fist tightened around the plastic bag he was holding, but remained silent. How dare the Hyuuga speak to him this way? Yes, he was a selfish bastard at times, as his betrayal had proved, but he was not inconsiderate, nor was he completely heartless. Neji spoke as if Sasuke did not understand the value of family.

Neji was wrong. Sasuke was the sole survivor of the Uchiha massacre instigated by his adored older brother. He was the one who spent half of his life training to grow stronger so he could kill his brother–to avenge his clan. Sasuke, who, sometimes dreamed of his mother's voice lulling him to sleep, only to wake up to the reality that his whole clan was dead.

Yes, Sasuke knew about family.

"A child and a family are not possessions, Uchiha," Neji continued calmly. "They are a part of us. The reason we exist in this world. Do you think of Naruto and your unborn child this way?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "You need not question my views on family, Hyuuga. But know this; I value my family far more than you think." _I hold and protect those I care for. _

Neji's calm expression did not change. "Good. I must go now. Hinata-sama is waiting for her ramen, and Naruto is waiting for the ice cream. Cravings are hard to deal with, are they not?" Then he turned his back to him, and started walking away.

Sasuke said nothing. He began to leave, but he only took a few steps before Neji said in a cool voice, "But in case you forget your words, Uchiha, I will kill you."

Sasuke smirked at Neji. "You will not have that pleasure, Hyuuga."

"Sasuke!" Naruto flung her arms around Sasuke, clinging to him. "Did you get it? Did you?"

Sasuke scowled. Since the onset of the pregnancy, Naruto was more hyperactive than before. "Yes. Now get off me."

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. Naruto then bounced to the kitchen, and then bounced back, a spoon in one hand. "Now we can eat it!"

"I'm not in the mood for ice cream."

Naruto grinned. "Oh? Even if you're going to eat it _off _me?"

Sasuke frowned. "No, I–_off_ you?" Naruto's grin widened. "I thought you were too sore–"

"Not anymore. So…do you want ice cream, Sasuke-kun?"

Unconsciously licking his lips, Sasuke didn't know whether to laugh or to pounce on Naruto. Smirking, he replied, "Yes."

_**Second Month**_

"Sasuke, are you all right?"

Still clad in an orange apron with the printed words that proclaimed the blonde as 'the kitchen deity', Naruto peered into Sasuke's ashen face. The Uchiha was leaning over the bathroom sink after he had thrown up for the second time that morning. Sasuke was getting annoyed. He had been feeling nauseous and throwing up for two weeks now, and he didn't know why.

Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's forehead. "You don't seem to be hot, so you can't be having a fever. Did you eat something bad? There wasn't anything wrong with my cooking, is there?" Naruto frowned, a worried look in her eyes.

Of course it wasn't that. Both she and Sasuke knew her cooking was beyond perfect.

Sasuke would have smirked at Naruto's tone if he weren't feeling so…miserable. The dobe sounded very much like a mother hen with all the fuss she made. "I'm fine," Sasuke said in a cool voice, standing up, thankful he wasn't wobbling or swaying. He still felt nauseous, though. "There's nothing wrong."

"No. You're not fine. You've been throwing up for two weeks!" Naruto snapped back, temper rising at Sasuke's obstinacy. Naruto huffed. "Geez, Sasuke. It's as if you are the one pregnant. I'm the one who is supposed to be throwing up and feeling nauseous, not you!"

Naruto was very thankful she was not suffering from morning sickness that plagued all pregnant women she knew. Naruto's pregnancy has been coasting smoothly so far, much to everyone's relief. Naruto did have those nasty mood swings though, and the occasional food cravings.

Naruto glared at Sasuke, who glared back at the blonde. "That's it, Sasuke. We're going to Tsunade-baachan to get you examined. You are not getting sick on me or the baby!"

"Congratulations, Sasuke. You're pregnant."

"**_WHAT?_**" Naruto's outraged shout was probably heard all over Konoha.

Tsunade laughed aloud at the stunned look on Naruto's face. Sasuke looked like he was about to explode or kill someone. _Ahhh, _Tsunade though with a smug smile, _revenge is truly sweet._ "I'm kidding! I couldn't resist it! The look on your faces…." Tsunade said, ignoring the murderous glare the two sent her. "The truth is, Sasuke's suffering from sympathy symptoms."

The angry expressions on their faces shifted to confused ones. "Eh?"

Tsunade smirked. "It happens to a lot of expectant fathers. The expectant father 'mimics' the symptoms of their pregnant partners–like morning sickness, soreness, moodiness. In your case, Sasuke's suffering from morning sickness. It usually lasts for a few weeks or so."

Sasuke winced. Naruto nodded, fascinated. "Oh. But why is Sasuke suffering from it?"

Tsunade shrugged. "It could be any number of reasons. It could be because of excessive anxiety over the pregnancy. Or it could be because the father's jealous of all the attention the expectant mother's getting," Tsunade said the last sentence with her eyes fixed on Sasuke. "Some rivalry you two have. You even compete over pregnancy symptoms."

Sasuke and Naruto just looked at each other. "Just give me something for the nausea, Hokage-sama," Sasuke said with a scowl, trying to ignore the amused smirk the Godaime Hokage gave him.

"I'm afraid there's little I could about it. You have to go through it."

Sasuke looked grim. "How long will it last?"

"Oh, until the third month or so." Tsunade concealed a smile at the brief look of horror in the Uchiha's eyes.

Ah. Revenge was truly sweet.

_**Third Month**_

Naruto sneezed as she put another dusty, crinkled scroll into the shelf. Not for the first time, the blonde cursed the Godaime Hokage. _Dammit, if I had known I was going to end up cleaning old shelves in the Hokage tower, I would have refused the old hag's offer! _

Since Naruto could not accept any missions because of the pregnancy, Naruto was stuck at the apartment. Even with the company of other pregnant women, specifically Sakura (who was in her first month), Ino (who had married Shikamaru a month or so ago), and Hinata, Naruto was bored. Naruto couldn't go out much, since there was still the need for secrecy regarding her pregnancy. Used to always moving about, the hyperactive blonde felt stifled with her inactivity. So Naruto had gone to the Hokage and asked for some sort of work that would be okay for her. Tsunade then hired Naruto as her assistant. Naruto was overjoyed and kissed the Hokage on the spot. Sasuke was not, however.

_"Why do you need to work?" Sasuke had asked, frowning. "It's not like we need the money." As the sole Uchiha (well, at least in Konoha), Sasuke had inherited the clan's wealth and thus had more money than he could possibly spend in his lifetime._

_"It's not the money! I'll go crazy if I don't do anything!" Naruto said. "I'm soooooooo bored!"_

_"Aren't you already crazy? With those mood swings of yours…." Sasuke stopped, seeing the look of outrage in the blonde's whiskered face. _

_"And whose fault was this anyway?" Naruto snapped, her voice rising several octaves. Naruto suddenly burst into tears and threw a glass at him, which he dodged easily. "Stupid Sasuke! What's wrong with me taking a job? I'm pregnant, not disabled! You're not the one stuck here in this stupid apartment, getting fatter and fatter every passing day and–"_

_"Ch'. Fine, you can work for the Godaime Hokage." Sasuke awkwardly put his hands on Naruto's head. "I just don't want you exerting yourself more than you should." _

_Eyes bright, Naruto then grinned at him, touched that he'd relent. Naruto knew that between the two of them, Sasuke was the one more anxious about the pregnancy. "Really? Yatta! You're so nice, Sasuke!"_

The thought of Sasuke brought a smile to Naruto's lips. Naruto knew the last few months had been torture to the Uchiha. Not only did Sasuke had to go through all that 'morning sickness' and dizziness early in Naruto's pregnancy, he had to put up with Naruto's mood swings (which could get insanely violent sometimes), something he did with surprising calmness and with Naruto's food cravings. Naruto wondered how Sasuke did it. Living with a pregnant person wasn't easy, especially if the pregnant person was Uzumaki Naruto and if the one putting up with that person was Uchiha Sasuke. Indeed, miracles do happen.

Naruto laid a hand on her gently swelling stomach. Naruto was well into the third month of pregnancy, and starting to show. This meant Naruto gained a lot of weight, which also meant that, aside from swollen ankles, tender, 'bloated' breasts, and the need to pee every half an hour, Naruto had back pains often. Thankfully, Sasuke's back rubs helped.

The back rubs. Gods, _the back rubs_. Naruto's cheeks flamed at the memory of how good Sasuke was with back rubs. With mint-scented slick hands, Sasuke would start at Naruto's shoulders, slowly and gently moving his way down, releasing the tension and soreness from Naruto's body and drawing out soft moans of pleasure from the blonde. As Naruto arched closer to his touch, Sasuke would place light, feathery kisses on Naruto's back and nape, then would nibble the blonde's earlobes, his warm tongue darting out to taste. It didn't take long for the back rubs to lead to…other things much more…vigorous.

Naruto had heard some lost their sexual desire when they got pregnant. They probably didn't get back rubs the way Sasuke gave them. The back rubs, and everything that followed it, became a daily ritual for Naruto and Sasuke–that was, of course, after Tsunade (who laughed when Naruto asked her) assured them they weren't doing any harm to the baby when they had sex–Naruto had been afraid they were poking the baby in the head with what they've been doing. "Just don't get too vigorous," she reminded them with a sly smile that made Naruto want to throttle her.

Forcing thoughts of Sasuke's heavenly back rubs out of her mind, Naruto went back to her work. The Hokage had assigned the pregnant blonde to rearrange and clean the old shelves of scrolls in a storage room in the Hokage tower. The storage room was dark, dank, and gloomy. Cobwebs and dust filled the room, and it looked like no one visited the place for the longest time. The scrolls were yellowed and crackling with age. It would have been nice if Naruto could read the scrolls, but the old hag had sternly told Naruto not to open ANY of the scrolls. _What's in the scrolls anyway?_ Naruto thought. _Village secrets? Forbidden techniques?_

As Naruto continued to clean the shelves, a scroll fell. Naruto reached for the scroll, but only managed to grab the string, which crumpled to her touch. The scroll unfurled open, and before Naruto could react, a warm light engulfed her.

Sasuke briskly made his way to the storage room to fetch Naruto. He was earlier than usual, since he finished his mission earlier than he thought.

He didn't really mind Naruto working here. The Hokage Tower was the most guarded building in Konohagakure, so he was sure Naruto was relatively safe there while he was away for missions. Sasuke didn't want to go to missions, but Naruto had insisted.

As soon as Sasuke reached the slightly open door to the storage room, a strange chill came over him. Pushing the door open, his whole body froze when he saw Naruto lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Naruto!" In a heartbeat, Sasuke was beside the blonde, feeling for a pulse and checking if there were any injuries. He gave a relieved sigh when he judged Naruto was all right. Gently, he shook the blonde. "Naruto! Dobe! Wake up!"

Naruto's eyelids briefly fluttered open, revealing amber-red slitted eyes. Then Naruto closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Naruto's eyes were their usual sky-blue. _What the hell? Was that just my imagination?_

"Sasuke?" Naruto mumbled. The blonde looked around. "What are you doing here? What are we doing on the floor?"

"I was hoping you could answer that." Sasuke helped Naruto stand. "I found you lying on the floor, unconscious." He decided not to tell Naruto what he saw a while ago. "What happened?"

Naruto blinked, dusting herself. "I don't know. All I can remember was that I was cleaning the place."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Is this one of those collapses due to pregnancy?"

Naruto gave him a nasty glare. "I don't know." Naruto looked around. Is it just him, or was the room just a tad bit colder than it was before? "Come on, let's go home."

The Uchiha gave Naruto a pointed look, but nodded. Taking the blonde firmly by the waist, Sasuke and Naruto left the room.

No one noticed the scroll that rolled out from underneath the shelves, glowing in the darkness.

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note: **Due to unforeseen circumstances, the birth of the baby will be next chapter. We're having so much fun with the pregnancy woes part. :grin: So there. We're evil, I know. XD

**Pregnancy woes:** Did I forget to mention it was Sasuke who was going to have pregnancy woes? Poor Sasuke! Ahhh…to tell you the truth, only a small fraction of women develop morning sickness. And it happens during the first trimester, if I'm correct. Mood swings are common, though…and also changes in sex drive…Ahhhhh…Ice cream…XD And not all women balloon in their first pregnancy.

Many thanks to the authors of the book _What to Expect When You're Expecting_, where I got information about pregnancy. Despite the weird looks I got when I bought it and when I read it in public, it had been most helpful.

**Sasuke and the pregnancy:** And there is such a thing as what Sasuke suffered. It's called couvade syndrome.

Yup! Sasuke's more anxious about the pregnancy than Naruto. He's a brooding bastard, after all. I wonder what kind of dad he'll be like? Naruto's a bit more relaxed about the whole thing.

To tell you the truth, Naruto's friends are underestimating Sasuke's ability to care for his family. Really. XD

**Neji:** I just LOOOOVE Neji here. He is so nice to Naruto. Though he's a jerk to Sasuke.

**The light:** Now, what was that all about? And who's been watching? You'll find out soon enough. XD

**Next chapter:** More pregnancy woes. THE BIRTH. FINALLY. XD


	8. Chapter VIII: Arrival

**Disclaimer:** I still down own Naruto. I do have and MAKE Naruto plushies, though. XD

**Author's note:** FINALLY! Naruto gives birth in this chapter! Happiness! XD Enjoy! This chapter is still done 'drabble style', so have patience! XD And yes, we have **fanart** of the baby! XD

**Warnings:** **MPREG**…Naruto in Sexy no Jutsu form. Yaoi. If you don't like this, run away. NOW!

**Pairings:** **SasuNaru**. KakaIru. Minor pairings include SakuLee, ShikaIno, and NejiHina. XD

**Special thanks to: _Aoyuki Hikari: _**_Thanks for reading! It's been a while. XD_

_**LadyRed06:** What happened? XD You'll find out another time. _

_**Nejigirl:** Thank you. XD_

_**Firehedgehog:** I hope you're all right after the fall. Yes, yes…so many questions…_

_**Uzumaki Liliana:** Thank you. Usuratonkachi means 'total moron' or 'complete moron'. That's what Sasuke calls Naruto other than dobe or 'dead-last'._

_**Wiglady:** Thank you. We updated as fast as we can. XD_

_**Lily Avalon:** The glowy scroll? You'll find out in the future. And yeah, poor, poor Sasuke. XD_

_**Millia Rage:** Yes, we are mean, are we not? Hehe…I'll give you a clue. The glowy scroll and the eyes didn't have ANYTHING to do with Kyuubi. XD_

_**Uchiha Avenger:** Hello! Hello! A girl? We'll see. XD You'll find out later. XD_

_**An Angel with Broken Wings:** Well, we can't tell you yet, but you'll find out soon enough. But you'll get clues in this chapter. XD_

_**Chimi Tenshi:** Thank you. I can't wait for the birth, too. XD _

_**Light of Fallen Darkness:** Ah, sorry, sorry. But Naruto will really give birth THIS chapter! _

_**Black Angel of Destruction:** Thank you! We updated as fast as we humanly can. XD_

_**Thirteenth-Spider:** Hehehe…yes, the plot thickens. XD_

_**RuByMoOn17: **Here's more! Enjoy!_

_**Yukishiroi:** Hahaha…well, here's the update! We did this as fast as we can!_

_**Die Kiyou Die:** I agree with your pen name. XD ah, sorry for the Japanese. We're assuming majority of the readers know what those words mean!_

_**Seiko: **Don't die! Here's the update! _

_**Sanjuno Shori Niko:** We will! Thank you for your support!_

_**Who knows:** Here's the update!_

_**OokamiHanyouGirl:** Well, we have updated faster! It's been what, two weeks or so?_

_**Haolover9312:** Thank you! We work hard for this fic! And here's the birth!_

This is for…**Buta-chan**, who did the **fanart** of Sasuke and Naruto's baby and **ILLK**, who patiently endured a female Naruto (as we all have)! XD

**Chapter VIII: Arrival**

**Fifth Month**

"He's at it again."

Sasuke glanced at Naruto, one eyebrow raised. They were sitting on the couch, watching some random show on TV. Naruto had a hand on her stomach, a strange look in her eyes. "He's kicking again." Naruto winced. "He's kicking hard."

Curious, Sasuke also put a hand on Naruto's stomach. This was the first time Naruto said anything about the baby's movements. For a few moments, he didn't feel anything; then, there was a tiny flutter of movement, followed by another one much stronger than the first.

Naruto smiled at the look of wonder on Sasuke's face. It was a mirror image of the one Naruto had when she first felt the baby's movement. The baby's movements made Naruto realize more than ever that they were going to have a child soon. "He usually kicks at night, or in the morning. He's very active."

Sasuke gave Naruto a small smile. "He?"

Naruto blushed slightly. "Well, it's just for the sake of conveniences. I'm still not sure what gender the baby will be."

"But you want it to be a boy," Sasuke said quietly.

"Well, I guess. It would be a lot of fun to have a boy. We'd pull pranks together." Naruto laughed at the pained look that crossed Sasuke's face. "What about you?"

Sasuke paused to think. He hadn't really thought much of what gender the child would be. So long as the baby and Naruto were healthy, he was happy. Besides, he'd been too worried about what would happen during the pregnancy to think much about it.

Thankfully, Naruto didn't have any more fainting spells as the one the blonde had in the storage room. Neither did Naruto have those strange nightmares. And Sasuke praised the gods his morning sickness had ended. Sasuke was also relieved that so far, neither Itachi nor Orochimaru had made a move to abduct or maim them.

"It doesn't matter what gender the baby will be, as long as both of you are healthy," he said in a soft voice, his face growing serious for a moment. "Hn… a girl, I suppose," Sasuke added with a shrug.

"A girl?" Naruto scratched her head. Naruto thought Sasuke would prefer a boy as well, for the sake of reviving the Uchiha clan. "Why a girl?"

_So she will have less of a chance of inheriting the Sharingan_, Sasuke thought. The Uchiha males usually inherited the Sharingan. As much as he wanted to revive the Uchiha clan, Sasuke did not want to burden his child with the Uchiha bloodline limit. He smirked at Naruto. "A girl would have a less of a chance inheriting _your_ attitude, usuratonkachi."

Naruto punched Sasuke's arm. "Hey! How'd you like to sleep in the sofa for a week, bastard?"

------

"So, Naruto-kun, how are you?" Hinata asked, smiling fondly at the pregnant blonde as she sat beside Naruto on a checkered blanket spread out on the grass underneath a tree in a sheltered clearing not far from the Hokage Tower. Naruto usually spent her time here, and more often than not, Hinata or the other girls visited her. Sometimes, one of the other guys did, Shikamaru being the most frequent one. If asked why he liked to spend time with Naruto there, he would claime the spot was perfect for cloud watching. Naruto claimed it was the perfect place for Shikamaru to hide from his wife.

"Fat," was Naruto's short reply. Then Naruto gave Hinata a wry smile, glancing at Hinata's big ball of a stomach that was so much like her own. "Do you always feel this way?"

Hinata smiled back. "Fat, impatient, sore…most of the time, yes. But I am excited as well." Since her early marriage and subsequent pregnancy and birth of her son, Hinata had matured. Still shy at times, she was now more confident in her abilities. Like Sakura, she was training to be a medic nin.

"I wish this was over already," Naruto said mournfully. "I'm finding it hard to sleep AND move, and I'm getting to the point where I can't see my feet anymore."

Hinata laughed and patted Naruto's hand. "It's all right, Naruto-kun. It'll pass. At least you didn't get morning sickness. Sakura-chan couldn't go to work at the hospital today because she has it and Ino-chan has been miserable for weeks."

Naruto grinned. "Sasuke did that for me." The image of Sasuke leaning over the sink and throwing up gave Naruto comfort. At least Naruto hadn't been the only one suffering.

"Oh, that reminds me, is Sasuke-san taking the jounin exam next month?"

"Eh? He isn't. He says he'll wait until I give birth before he does."

"Sasuke-san is very considerate. He's putting you first before himself."

Naruto scowled. "No, he isn't. He's not taking the exam because he says there isn't anyone worth challenging there. Sasuke thinks I'm the only one worth challenging. I'm his rival, after all. That bastard! When I get out of this form, I'm going to beat the crap out of him. Considerate, my ass!"

Hinata smiled. Ah. She'd nearly forgotten the rivalry between the two.

As they talked, Hinata and Neji's son, Hiroshi, crawled across the blanket, looking curiously at the tall grass. The boy was almost a year old now, and looking more and more like Neji.

Naruto gently ruffled the boy's silky blue-black hair. Hiroshi turned and gave Naruto a grave, annoyed look not unlike the one Neji gave Naruto when he was both amused and annoyed at the blonde. "Well, Hiro-chan, seems like you're going to be just like your dad," Naruto said with a chuckle.

Hiroshi just stared at him for a few seconds, and then crawled to his mother's waiting arms.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto said in a serious voice. The blonde was looking up at the large expanse of blue sky above them. "Do you think Sasuke and I would be good parents? I mean, I'm not really the most responsible person, and Sasuke…well, Sasuke is Sasuke."

Hinata smiled at Naruto. "Naruto-kun," she began in a gentle voice as she cuddled her now squirming son close. "Being a 'good' parent isn't something you're born to be. It's something you gain through experience and time. You 'grow' into being a good parent, and I'm sure you and Sasuke-san will do your very best to become good parents."

Naruto gave Hinata a gentle smile. "Thanks, Hinata."

--------

"Hey! That's cold!"

"Shut up, brat," Tsunade said to Naruto as Shizune continued to spread the cold cream out. "This helps with the conduction of sound, okay? So just bear it!"

Naruto glared at Tsunade. "Easy for YOU to say, you old hag!" Naruto squirmed uncomfortably at the bed. The blonde was lying flat on her back to have her first ultrasound. Not only was this an unsatisfactory position for Naruto, the blonde was also dying for a pee from a full bladder. "Let's just get this over with!"

"Maa, Naruto-kun, don't you want to see the baby?" Kakashi asked with a placid smile. The silver-haired jounin stood beside Iruka who was looking at Naruto with an amused expression. On the other side, Sasuke stood beside Naruto's bed, his arms crossed over his chest, expressionless as always.

Naruto gave Kakashi a nasty look. "Of course I want to see my baby! And what are you doing here? I only asked Iruka-sensei to come, not you!"

Kakashi grinned at Naruto. "I'm here to see how you're doing." The silver-haired jounin pouted. "I'm hurt. Don't you want to share this special moment with your teacher?"

"Not with a perverted teacher like you!" Naruto shouted back.

"Stop it, both of you," Iruka chided. "Naruto, just let Godaime Hokage-sama do the ultrasound already. You need this so the Hokage would know if your baby's okay."

Shizune smiled reassuringly at him. "Iruka-sensei is right, Naruto-kun. We need to know if your baby is developing properly. Not that anything's wrong, but we just want to make sure."

"Fine," Naruto grumbled. Naruto flinched a little as Tsunade began to perform the ultrasound on Naruto. The screen near the bed lighted up, first showing fuzzy, grayish-blue images, then slowly, showing something else. Sasuke straightened slightly, while Naruto's eyes widened. "Is that…"

Tsunade bestowed them a small grin. "Yes, that's your baby," she said, pointing at the tiny pulsating human figure on the screen. "Ah. Looks like the heart's fine and strong, and everything's developing nicely."

Naruto didn't hear what Tsunade was saying. Naruto kept staring at the screen. _That's my baby!_ Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, who was also looking at the screen, a strange look in his dark eyes. Naruto sought Sasuke's hand and squeezed it. Their eyes met, and then they both gazed back at the screen. Sasuke squeezed back. _Our baby_. In the background, Naruto could hear someone sniffling. Shifting slightly, she saw that it was Iruka. _Geez, Iruka-sensei's such a crybaby,_ Naruto thought with a gentle smile.

"Do you want to know what your baby's gender is?" Tsunade asked, glancing at them.

"NO!" Naruto blurted out. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other again. "We want it to be a surprise at the birth."

Tsunade shrugged. "If you say so." Then her eyes narrowed, and she peered closer at the screen. "Hmmmm, there's something off."

Naruto froze. "Is something wrong?" the blonde asked, a thread of fear in her voice. Naruto's grip on Sasuke's hand tightened.

Tsunade shook her head, but she was still frowning. "There's nothing wrong, it's just that the uterus and the placenta seem to be a bit _thicker_ than I thought they would be. And there something's off with the chakra, but that's probably because of the charka of the Kyuubi interfering." She smiled reassuringly at Sasuke and Naruto. "Other than that, your pregnancy is progressing well, and you and the baby are as healthy as could be. Now if this would continue until your due date, everything should be fine."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief. She'd been afraid something was wrong with the baby. "That's good to know. Is the ultrasound over?"

"Yes."

Naruto bolted up. "Good. Now I have to go to the bathroom."

**Ninth Month**

Naruto winced as another contraction hit her lower back. She bit her lip as the pain radiated to the lower abdomen, spreading to the legs. She gripped one of the bookshelves in the library for support.

_Damn it!_ Naruto thought as the pain gradually disappeared. Maybe she should have stayed home for today instead of going to the Hokage tower for work. However, earlier that day, she had a sudden burst of energy and the urge to do _something_.

Naruto had been getting those urges these past few days. Sometimes, Naruto would find herself scrubbing floors or doing a general cleaning of the apartment. Not even Sasuke could dissuade her from her cleaning. Tsunade said Naruto's urges had something to do with 'nesting instincts'. Naruto was in her ninth month, after all. In a few weeks, Naruto would be giving birth.

_About time, if you ask me!_ Naruto thought. Gods, _I'm at my patience's end with waiting._ Naruto had had enough of the weight gain that made her look like a whale, the mood wings, and the back pains.

According to Tsuande, Naruto's due date would probably be two weeks from his birthday. On Naruto's birthday five days ago, the girls threw a baby shower for Naruto…and for themselves as well, since most the girls were well into their own pregnancy. In fact, Hinata would probably be giving birth this week.

Naruto took a deep breath. Contractions were nothing new to her. Naruto had been having them for months, but not quite as painful as they were today. Maybe she should go home. However, Naruto still had to wait for Sasuke to fetch her. _Where are you, you damned bastard?_

Naruto then felt a sudden, familiar presence behind her. To her surprise, Naruto saw Gaara standing on the library doorway, looking at Naruto curiously. Naruto froze, remembering that Gaara would be here for a conference with the Hokage. The eyebrowless freak of a panda bear was Kazekage after all.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Gaara intoned in his dead voice. "Why are you in that form?"

"EH?" How the hell did Gaara know she was Nar–oh yeah, the Shukaku thing. No way could Naruto lie.

Gaara took a step closer, his eyes widening just a little bit. "Are you with…child?"

_Well, gee, with a stomach that stuck out a mile, only a blind person wouldn't know_. Naruto folded her arms across her chest. "Yeah, so what?" Naruto demanded belligerently. She choked back a groan as another contraction hit her. _Damn, that was much stronger than the last time._

Gaara's green eyes narrowed, and then to Naruto's astonishment and rage, the Kazekage began to laugh. "What the HELL are you laughing about, you bastard! You try being stuck this way!" Naruto did NOT like being the source of amusement of the redheaded Kazekage.

Gaara stopped laughing, and then smirked at the fuming blonde. "I believe this is the Uchiha's doing. He…knocked you up, I believe the term is."

"SHUT UP!" Naruto resisted the urge to strangle Gaara. The old hag might not be happy if Naruto killed the Kazekage. "What are you doing here?"

"I sensed your presence, and I decided to pay a visit. I was also curious. Your chakra felt different." Kazekage Gaara frowned as Naruto gave a small cry of pain.

"Shit!" Naruto exclaimed. The last contraction was much, much painful than before, and nearly drove her to her knees. _Oh shit, don't tell me it's time!_ Naruto's blue eyes widened. _NO way!_

"It seems you are in pain. You might be giving birth," Gaara remarked in that monotone voice of his.

"And what would _you_ know about giving birth?" Naruto snapped. She slid down to the floor, leaning against the bookshelves, panting. Naruto closed her eyes, trying to relax. She could scream for Tsunade, but that would bring everyone in the Hokage tower in the library. And Naruto couldn't ask Gaara, could she?

"Do you want me to assist you?" Gaara asked, crouching beside him.

Naruto's eyes snapped open to stare with open-mouthed disbelief at Gaara. The Kazekage appeared serious with his offer. An unbidden image of Gaara in a nurse's uniform and a mask, playing midwife to Naruto rose in the blonde's mind. "NO!" Naruto shouted. "I'll just wait for Sasuke!"

Gaara rose, towering over Naruto. "Stay here, Uzumaki Naruto. I will get Uchiha." With a puff of smoke and a swirl of sand, Gaara disappeared.

"Bastard!" Naruto shouted. "He left me alone here!"

-------

By some perverse twist of fate, Sasuke ended up in a joint mission with three of the people who tried to 'rescue' him two years before. That was why he, Shikamaru, Neji, and Lee were in the same room, talking about the mission. It was also another twist of fate that the other three people were expectant fathers like him, which meant there were the usual complaints about their pregnant partners. Sasuke didn't talk much of how Naruto was doing. Sasuke's relationship with the three improved over the last few months…but understandably, not THAT much.

As the four discussed the logistics for the mission, they felt a sudden burst of chakra. To their surprise, Gaara of the Sand stood before them. The Kazekage turned to Sasuke, who regarded him with a glare.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Gaara said, "Come with me."

One of Sasuke's eyebrows rose. "Why?"

"Because Naruto is about to give birth," Gaara replied in his deep, deadpan voice.

Sasuke tensed, as did the others. In a few seconds, they appeared at the library.

Sasuke rushed to Naruto's side then knelt beside the pregnant blonde, a worried frown on his face. Naruto had been getting contractions lately, but Tsunade had assured them (after _several_ false alarms) they were just 'practice contractions'. Naruto was still two and a half weeks from delivery and wasn't it said that first babies were usually born late? "Naruto, are you sure this isn't just another false ala–" Sasuke never finished his sentence. Naruto grabbed his collar and pulled his face close.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto said through clenched teeth, her breath coming out in harsh pants, "I am in PAIN! I don't care if this a false alarm or not, but if you don't bring me to old hag Tsunade right now, I swear, I will castrate you with my teeth!"

Sasuke just stared at Naruto, ignoring the shocked look on the other's faces. Then he nodded, shifting to scoop Naruto into his arms. "All right, I'll–"

A loud yelp from Naruto cut off Sasuke's words, followed by a soft, gushing sound. Looking down, Sasuke saw a pool of liquid spreading out from where Naruto was.

"Oh, shit," Naruto breathed out, face white with fear. "My water bag just broke."

-------

"Sasuke, you are DEAD!" Naruto shouted from the OR room. "This is your entire fucking fault! I'm going to kill you!" The blonde's choked scream was followed by a loud tearing groan that was abruptly cut off by a sudden, forceful surge of charka.

"What was that?" Lee asked as he appeared with a puff of smoke. He'd just come from inspecting the hospital and making sure no one was making any ruckus that could disrupt Naruto's labor.

"That's the Hokage putting up a charka wall to soundproof the OR," Kakashi said, not looking up from the book he was reading, which, of course, was Icha Icha Tactics, the latest volume of Jiraiya's Icha Icha series.

"No, I meant the screaming."

"Oh, that was Naruto screaming her guts out." Kakashi blinked at the glares directed him. "Eh? What?"

"Do not be alarmed," Gaara intoned. Everyone looked at him with mild surprise. Sasuke glared at him. "It is normal for a birthing woman to experience great pain. Pain is good," he continued in his dead voice. "My mother was in excruciating pain when she gave birth to me. She continued to curse me and my father throughout her labor and my birth. She did not stop her curses until Shukaku devoured her."

Their expression of surprise quickly turned to one of horror. You're_ telling us not to be alarmed?_ _You're not helping at all!_ everyone thought.

"Kazekage-sama," Iruka managed to say, "we are honored by your advice, but please, no more."

Gaara directed his cool green gaze at Sasuke. "Uzumaki Naruto is the strongest person I have known in my life. Uzumaki Naruto will survive this. If Uzumaki Naruto does not, then I will kill you."

Sasuke locked gazes with Gaara but said nothing. Kakashi, however, remarked, "You seem to be getting a lot of death threats today, Sasuke-kun."

Iruka nudged Kakashi at the ribs. "Shut up, Kakashi."

Sasuke and the others were outside the Operating Room on the second floor of the Konohagakure Hospital. The floor had been sealed off under the Hokage's orders, so they were the only people there. Tsunade and Shizune personally took charge of the laboring procedures.

Cradled in Sasuke's arms, Naruto was brought to the hospital several hours ago, Neji and the others following behind.

After Naruto's 'water bag' broke, Lee had gone to inform the Godaime Hokage, Shizune, Kakashi and Iruka of the previous events.

Tsunade quickly arrived, and after banishing the others from the library, calmly examined the groaning Naruto. However, there was a grave look in her eyes when she finished. "Well, Naruto, it's time."

Naruto's eyes widened with fear. Tsunade gripped Naruto's hand, smiling reassuringly. "It's going to be all right. We'll take care of you and the baby."

Because of the need for secrecy and security, Naruto and Sasuke stayed in the library with Shizune until proper preparations were made for the birth. By the time Sasuke and Naruto arrived at the hospital, Tsunade, Iruka, and Kakashi were already there. Tsunade had already ordered to seal off the floor.

Now, it was almost past midnight. Naruto's water broke early evening, but the blonde was still in the throes of labor and had only been sufficiently dilated to be wheeled into the OR a few hours ago. "Does giving birth usually take this long?" Shikamaru asked Neji, who was leaning against the wall as he stared at the double doors of the delivery room.

"Most of the time," Neji replied. When she gave birth to Hiroshi, Hinata endured about 5 hours of labor, which was, according to the midwife, rather quick for a firstborn.

"Sasuke-san doesn't seem to be worried at all," Lee remarked, glancing at the Uchiha. Sasuke silently sat on the bench, dark eyes trained at the doors, his face expressionless as always.

_That's what you think_, Kakashi thought as he cast a discreet glance at Sasuke. Though Sasuke appeared unaffected, Kakashi knew better. He could clearly see how worried Sasuke was–black eyes darker than usual, muscle cords at the neck tight and tense. The only thing that kept Sasuke from barging into the delivery room was a thin thread of patience–and his earlier promise to Naruto not to be an ass. Sasuke wanted to be in the OR with Naruto, but Tsunade, for some strange reason, said no.

Iruka was looking worriedly at the clock happily ticking away. Naruto had been in the OR for a while now. Then the double doors burst open, revealing Tsunade and Shizune. Iruka's heart leapt into his throat when he saw the Godaime Hokage carrying a tiny white bundle in her arms.

Sasuke immediately shot up from his seat as soon as the doors burst open. Heart beating fast, his eyes fell on the white bundle, then at the Hokage's grave face. "How is Naruto?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

Tsunade grinned. "_He's_ fine. You can see the brat in a while." Her emphasis on the 'he' meant Naruto had returned to his true form. "Congratulations, Uchiha Sasuke. You have a boy."

Sasuke hesitantly stepped closer to Tsunade, who gently transferred the bundle to his arms. The Uchiha awkwardly held the bundle, holding it close to his chest. Lowering his head, he peered into the bundle for the first time. Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw a thatch of blue-black hair so much like his own. As he continued to look at his newborn son with wonder, his gaze fell on his son's face. Red-faced and wrinkled, his son looked a little absurd with that little button of a nose. Sasuke gave a sharp intake of breath when he saw the unmistakable hints of whisker scars on his son's cheeks. His gaze snapped to Tsunade, who only smiled.

"It's all right. I've checked it already. Nothing to worry about," Tsunade said.

Satisfied, Sasuke looked back at his son, smiling slightly at what could be a miniature version of him. A boy. Well, Naruto would be pleased. "Can I see Naruto now?" he asked.

Tsunade smiled again, a strange glint in her eyes. "Wait for a moment. There's still something else. Why don't you give your son to Iruka for a moment?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but obeyed. He reluctantly gave his son to a teary decidedly Iruka, who cooed over the baby like some new grand mom. "What is it?"

Tsunade turned to Shizune. Then with a wide grin, Tsunade held out another tiny white bundle to a stunned Sasuke. "Congratulations again, Uchiha. You have a girl."

"What? Naruto-kun had twins? A boy and a girl?" Lee exclaimed, eyes widening in wonder.

"Che. No wonder the birth was so troublesome," Shikamaru muttered under his breath.

Sasuke gently took his daughter into his arms, giving a quiet, shuddering breath as he gazed at her. Her daughter seemed so small. She had a thick patch of blonde hair on her head just like Naruto's. Unlike her twin brother, his daughter did not have any whisker scars. His daughter's face scrunched up as she opened her small mouth for a tiny yawn, her little fists waving in the air. Sasuke stared at Tsunade, then at the baby. "But how? I thought the ultrasound–"

"Well, your daughter played a prank on us. She probably hid behind her twin so the ultrasound couldn't detect her. She's been keeping herself a big secret all this time," Tsunade explained with a rueful smile.

Sasuke glanced back at his daughter and smiled. Looks like this one got Naruto's attitude down pat. He had the sinking feeling he'd have a lot of trouble with his daughter. Touching his daughter's cheek briefly, Sasuke held her closer and turned to Tsunade, who had taken his son into her arms. "Can I see Naruto now?"

The blond lay on the bed, propped up by pillows, his eyes closed. Naruto, now in his normal male form, opened his eyes as Sasuke entered. He grinned when he saw Sasuke's smile. "I sure hope you're happy! It took a LOT of work to get those two out." He pointed at the girl in Sasuke's arms. "Especially THAT one. I pushed and pushed, but she still didn't go out!"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto. "Sounds like she's as stubborn as you, dobe."

"What's that supposed to mean, bastard?"

"Such language in front of the babies, Naruto!" Tsunade laid the boy on Naruto's arms, and then quietly left the room.

Naruto's grin softened to a smile as he gazed into their son. "They're beautiful, aren't they, Sasuke?"

"Yes, they are," Sasuke said quietly, sitting beside Naruto. Their eyes met, and Naruto flushed slightly at the intensity of Sasuke's gaze.

"We should probably give them some names," Naruto said.

"What do you want their names to be?" Sasuke asked. "You should be the one to name them. You're the one who did the most work, after all."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "I hate you when you're like that." Naruto thought for a moment. Then he grinned. "The girl's easy. I'd name her Hisoka, because she kept herself a secret all this time. But the boy…." Naruto glanced at Sasuke's dark eyes, and found the answer there. "I think Hikaru would do. Uchiha Hikaru and Uchiha Hisoka."

"Light and Secret? What an odd combination," Sasuke remarked with a smirk.

"Hey, you asked me to name them," Naruto pointed out. He shook his head. "I still can't believe we had twins. They're going to be a lot of trouble, aren't they?"

"They're worth it." Sasuke leaned over, and gave Naruto a chaste kiss on the lips.

Outside the hospital, a shooting star streaked across the star-filled sky, an omen for things to come.

------

In the darkness of his room, Orochimaru smiled. Licking his lips, he lifted his head and met Kabuto's eyes. His smile grew into a wicked grin. "Well, well, Sasuke-kun. What a wonderful gift you have for me."

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note: Ahahahaha! **Were you surprised? Naruto gave birth to twins! A girl and a boy to boot! Sasuke and Naruto both got their wishes. XD And so the pregnancy ends, parenthood begins! XD

**Naruto: _Twins?_ **I gave birth to twins?

**Kakashi:** You're so…potent, Sasuke. Imagine, two–

**Sasuke:** Shut up, Kakashi:activates Sharingan and powers up chidori:

**Iruka:** :faints:

Truth is, the birth was waaaaay overdue. We should have posted it by Chapter 7, but I, twisted-sheets, was a bit lazy. Hehehe…sorry. I was busy looking for work. XD

**Chibi-onna1:** Sorry, partly my fault, too… Wasn't able to proofread at once… Fixing some papers in college… But here it is, paperwork be damned!

**The twins: **Did you like them? If you want to see a **fanart** of them, go to **http / www.reflections-shadows. God, I feel sorry for the girl already. With a dad like Sasuke, she would probably die an old maid. And yes, they have different birthdays, because Hikaru was born on a few minutes before midnight, but Hisoka a few minutes after midnight. XD**

**The birth:** Poor Shikamaru and Lee. Now they'll be filled with dread when their wives give birth. XD Ahhhh…I wanted Sasuke in the OR, but I changed my mind. And yes, most first babies are born late, but there are always exceptions to the rules, ne? The duration of labor to the actual birth varies. It could go for days, or for a few hours. Naruto took a while to give birth. And labor has several stages. Usually, doctors wait until a pregnant woman's cervix is dilated (I'm not sure how much) before they are wheeled into the delivery/operating room to do the 'huffing, puffing, pushing and screaming'.

**Sasuke:** Yes, he broods. He angsts. Well, that's Sasuke. XD He's afraid his kid would grow up like him, or like Itachi, which is why he preferred a girl. And now he got his wish. Poor Hisoka-chan…XD God, I can't write a sappy Sasuke at all.

**Naruto:** Hehehe…I could almost see Naruto teaching his son Sexy no Jutsu…or maybe Thousand Years of Pain. Hooooooo booooy! Hikaru's going to live up to many expectations! Having such skilled parents could be a pain in the ass sometimes. He'll probably inherit Sasuke's fan girls.

**Kazekage Gaara:** Poor, poor Gaara. He comes visiting and what does he end up doing? Helping a 'laboring' Naruto. Yes, **Ghostninja85**, he wasn't exactly a midwife, but he came close, _very_ close. I hope he wasn't OOC.

**Sharingan and Gender:** Hmmm…not sure if the Sharingan is exclusive among Uchiha males, but so far, we haven't seen any Uchiha females (past) with the Sharingan, so we'll assume the Sharingan is more dominant in Uchiha males that Uchiha females. Is anyone familiar with genetics here?

**The ultrasound:** I'm assuming the Naruto world has all the comforts of the modern world…including medical equipment. XD I know Kishimoto-sensei said something about this in an interview. Heck, there's even a TV in Sasuke's room in the Uchiha compound. XD Naruto's in her fifth month, so that means the fetus is more human looking. Didn't want to do the ultrasound earlier, 'cause then the fetus looks like a peanut.

**Hyuuga Hiroshi:** And yes, that was Hinata and Neji's firstborn son. XD He's adorable, isn't he? We have plans for that boy…wait until you see the other kids! You'll love Rock Lee and Sakura's kid!

**Twisted-sheets:** Hey, Mr. Glowy-scroll, what is your role, anyway?

**Scroll:** :pissed: Don't call me GLOWY-SCROLL! I am an ancient scroll with mysterious powers. My role is a secret! You'll find out in the future, ne, chibi-chan?

**Chibi-onna1:** HAI!

**Next chapter:** If Sasuke and Naruto thought being pregnant with twins was hard, they are about to find out that they are wrong–very, very wrong. Raising them is. XD Diapers, sleepless nights, crying fits…and did I mention Orochimaru? The true plot of _Reflections and Shadows_ begins! YEAH! FINALLY!

And yeah, if you want to know when we update, just say so and put your e-mail address. XD

**Thank you for reading! See you at the next chapter! XD**


	9. Chapter IX: Baby Steps

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is Kishimoto's property. We do not own them. Don't sue.

**Author's note:** Thank you SO much for taking time to explain about genetics and Sharingan. Well, after the pregnancy comes parenthood. And it's hard to be a parent when you have twins, you're Sasuke and Naruto, and you have a pedophile of a snake bastard after you. The fun starts NOW!

**Warnings:** **Technical MPREG**. **Yaoi**. If you don't like this, run away. NOW!

**Pairings:** **SasuNaru**. KakaIru. Minor pairings include SakuLee, ShikaIno, and NejiHina. XD

**Special thanks to: _Azamiko:_**_ That as fast. XD Yes, we're going to torture Sasuke and Naruto! XD_

_**xShatteredSoulx:** Actually, they sort of have the same meaning and share the same kanji. XD But anyways, thank you very much._

_**Alana-StarSugarCat:** Thank you! You have a cute name! I hope you got the e-mail. Hi to Leo too!_

_**Uchiha Avenger:** Um…is your email a yahoo account? Anyway, Sasuke doesn't like Sharingan because he's afraid his kid could turn like him or Itachi. XD_

_**Lilbunnyfufu:** Thank you very much for the explanation. We can never truly know if the Sharingan is for males only, because Itachi killed off the clan. Gah!_

_**OokamiHanyouGirl:** Gaara as a midwife was certainly strange…there's actually a voice clip where Gaara's a cow. How strange is that?_

_**ILLK:** I share your joy that Naruto's a guy now! And about the Sharingan, based on what I've been getting, it is related to the x chromosome._

_**Die Kikyou Die:** I know I missed a few. Anyway, thank you for reading!_

_**NejiGirl:** You'll find out this chapter! _

_**Firehedgehog:** Are you psychic? XD You'll find out more this chapter!_

_**Uzamaki Liliana:** Hikaru as gay? Uhmmm, no. As for Hisoka, you'll get a clue this chapter. XD_

_**Hunter Hatake:** Thank you! XD Actually, someone spoiled on the reviews, but thankfully, the twin part was still a bit unexpected. XD_

_**Lady Red06:** The babies' personalities? Let's just say they will be…interesting. _

_**Light of Fallen Darkness:** Hahahaha! That's exactly how it would go! And I'm glad you liked Gaara. I had a blast writing that part! Sasuke, however, is much scarier than Hughes as a Dad. He can toast them alive, Hughes can't. And for some strange reason, Sasuke reminds me of Roy. _

_**Sanjuno Shori Niko:** That's OK! Anyway, thank you for reading! _

_**Lily Avalon:** Yes, truly! Orochimaru equals gah!_

_**Maskoftime:** No, they're not married. XD We promise, this chapter will be moderately funny._

_**Yukishiroi:** Thank you. Probably the girl, but you need to read to find out! XD_

_**Jewelclaw Lady of the Wind:** Don't fret! You'll get your answers this chapter! _

_**SilverRose88:** I hope you didn't sustain any injuries! XD I hope you'll like this chapter! XD_

_**Shirasaki Rei:** We love you too! Thank you!_

_**Mai:** I understand the biology thing. I have friends who wept tears of joy and pain because of their biology classes. XD And thank you so much for explaining! XD _

_**Millia Rage:** You got an early update! Hope you got the e-mail! XD _

_**Miss Moonlight:** Thanks! We also like Gaara's personality? Have you read the recent manga chapters?_

_**Ancient History:** Sorry if this took a while. This was a pain to write, keeping them in character!_

_**Boeboebi:** There's actually a fic where Naruto had nine kids in one birth, and there's another fic where he had triplets. _

_**Naaja:** Thank you for the explanation! And thank you for reading as well!_

_**The Shadows Hide All:** Thank you for the cookie, and here is the update! _

This is for…**Macy. Long Live SasuNaru MPREG! XD**

**Chapter IX: Baby Steps**

A loud wail shattered the night's stillness, abruptly waking two shinobi.

"It's your turn," muttered Naruto to Sasuke. Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get back to sleep. He snuggled deeper into the sheets.

Sasuke glared sleepily at the blond. "No, I believe it's your turn."

"No, it's not. It's your–"

Another loud, piercing wail joined the first one. Naruto sighed. "Okay, it's both our turns." With a groan, he stood up, got out of bed, and sleepily went straight to the crib just a few feet across their bed. Behind him, Sasuke followed, muttering to himself.

Naruto leaned over to find the twins kicking and flailing their tiny arms and legs as they cried out in distress. "All right, what the problem with you two? Hungry? Or are you wet again?" Gently, he scooped up Hikaru, wrinkling his nose when he felt the distinct wetness on his son's bottom. "Wet it is." Thankfully, as soon as Naruto had his son in his arms, Hikaru stopped crying. "Let's go change your diapers."

Sasuke already had Hisoka, who had also stopped crying, in his arms and was heading for the nearby changing table to change her diapers. Naruto followed, picking up the packet of baby wipes from one of the closets as he did.

It had been two months since Naruto gave birth to the twins. Naruto recovered without any complications, much to Sasuke's relief. After a week's stay in the hospital (the long stay was mostly for the twins' sake than Naruto's), the couple and their two children went back to their apartments. As soon as they got home, the sleepless nights began.

The problem with the twins was that as soon as Naruto or Sasuke puts to sleep one of them, the other would start crying, or, if they were unfortunate enough, the two would start crying simultaneously. As a result, both of them would stay awake throughout the night.

The two would have lost their minds dealing with the twins if it hadn't been for Hinata and Shizune, who had earlier instructed them in the arts of taking care of babies. The problem was, Sasuke and Naruto's training was for handling ONE baby, not TWO. To say that the twins were a handful would be an understatement. The first time they tried to change diapers, their clothes were soaked wet, their bodies covered with talcum powder.

"There, finished." Naruto gazed at the dry diapers on Hikaru with pride. He grinned at his firstborn as he took him into his arms again, resisting the urge to cuddle him close. The twins needed sleep, not cuddling. He glanced at Sasuke, smiling a little when he saw that the Uchiha was unconsciously rocking the diaper-changed Hisoka, who he held against his chest, back to sleep.

The twins changed Sasuke. During the first week after the twin's birth, the Uchiha had kept himself almost aloof from them, and had acted as if he was afraid to touch the babies.

"_You're their father!" Naruto had said, glaring at Sasuke. "Why the hell are you scared of them? They're not going to kill you!"_

_Sasuke's dark eyes fell on the sleeping twins. "I might hurt them," he replied shortly._

"_No, you won't," Naruto said emphatically. "Stop being a bastard. You are NOT leaving me alone to care for the twins! We need to work together! And don't you want to bond with your babies?" He narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me you're getting post-partum depression on me. I'm the one who's supposed to get that!"_

_Sasuke gave him an are-you-stupid look. "Just touch them," Naruto urged. "You did just fine when they were born. Don't back away now!"_

_Sasuke scowled at Naruto, but reached out to touch Hisoka. It wasn't that he didn't want the twins or resented them. _He had a family once, and lost them. Now he had a new family…will he0 lose them too?_ Itachi and Orochimaru were still out there, waiting, taking their time. _

"Family holds you back, little brother. Family limits your capabilities. It deserves to be shunned."

_Itachi's words echoed back to him, and he almost pulled away from Hisoka, but just then, his daughter's eyes opened, revealing eyes as black as his own. She looked at Sasuke gravely, as if looking into his very soul, and then she yawned, her tiny arms flailing about. Sasuke couldn't help but smile. _

"_Hey, looks like this one's going to have your eyes, Sasuke. Too bad she won't inherit the Sharingan, right?" Naruto remarked. "But Hikaru might, ne?"_

"_Yes," Sasuke answered, shifting his gaze to his son. There was no way to tell if a newborn child would be capable of Sharingan, but somehow, Sasuke knew his son would master Sharingan. He touched his son's tiny whisker scars, not for the first time wondering how he got them._

"_Anou sa, Tsunade explained those whisker scars are like birthmarks of sorts. Hisoka has a birthmark too, on her back, somewhere between the shoulder blades. It has a funny shape, like a heart," Naruto said, as if reading Sasuke's mind._

"_Hisoka has a birthmark?" Sasuke frowned, glancing at their daughter. "I didn't know that."_

"_That's because you haven't paying much attention to them," Naruto retorted. _

_Sasuke winced. "Fine. I've been a bastard." He glanced at his children again. "I won't promise anything, Naruto, but I'll try to be a good parent to them."_

_Naruto nodded approvingly. "Good." He held out a feeding bottle. "You can start being a good father by helping me feed them. You feed Hisoka, I'll feed Hikaru."_

Since then, Sasuke had been more involved with taking care of the twins. Sasuke seemed more partial to Hisoka than Hikaru, though. Naruto didn't really mind. He liked taking care of Hikaru. Of the twins, Hikaru fussed the least. His son was a grave, quiet little baby, rarely crying. Hisoka, on the other hand, would cry vociferously at the smallest provocation. Naruto once tried to pick her up, but her cries only got louder. However, she immediately stopped as soon as Sasuke had her in his arms.

"What are you smiling at, dobe?" Naruto heard Sasuke ask, breaking through his reverie. Sasuke had just finished putting Hisoka back in the crib and was looking at Naruto with narrowed eyes.

He grinned at Sasuke, stifling a laugh at the annoyed look that flashed Sasuke's face. "Oh, nothing." Naruto put Hikaru beside his twin, sighing in relief that the terrible two were finally asleep. "I hope this is the last time for this night. I don't know if we could take any more of this."

They carefully slid back into their bed. Much to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto snuggled closer to him, wrapping his arms around Sasuke's waist. Between taking care of the twins and missions, Sasuke hadn't had much…intimate contact with Naruto, except for some hurried or chaste kisses and hugs. "Dobe, what are you doing?"

"What? Can't I hug you now?" Naruto pouted.

"No," Sasuke said coolly. "But I know you. We'll wake up the twins."

Naruto grinned. "Not if we're quiet."

"You're never quiet."

"That's your fault."

"Is it now?" Sasuke drew closer, face only inches away. "Maybe we should find out if that's true."

Naruto's grin widened. "Why don't we, you bastard?"

Sasuke shut him up with sudden deep kiss. His hands slid up Naruto shirt. Naruto bit back a hoarse moan. He felt Sasuke smirk against his lips as his breath hitched when the Uchiha's hand wandered down to his stomach.

Just then, the twins let out another long, piercing cry, shattering the mood.

Naruto pulled his mouth from Sasuke with a long groan. _Dammit!_

------

"They look absolutely adorable!" Sakura squealed as she looked at the sleeping twins inside the crib. She grinned as she turned to Naruto and Sasuke. "On the other hand, you two look absolutely horrible!"

Naruto shot Sakura a baleful look. Did she really have to point it out? Naruto knew he and Sasuke look like zombies out of some cheap horror movie with their deep, dark eye bags, mussed-up hair, and crumpled clothing. Not only that, they smelled of spit, talcum, and a whole lot of unwholesome things Naruto did not want to think about now. "Don't laugh at us yet, Sakura-chan!" He pointed at Sakura's huge stomach. "Pretty soon, you and that eyebrow freak are going to look a LOT like us!"

"Sakura, please don't speak so loudly," Sasuke said in his deadpan voice, though Sakura could detect a hint of weariness in it. "You might wake the babies, and it took us an hour before we could get them to sleep."

"Is it really that bad?" Sakura glanced at the babies again. The two month-old twins slept side by side, facing each other, tiny hands touching. The twins always slept together in the same crib. Naruto and Sasuke had found out the hard way that separating the twins would bring on long, loud, and piercing crying fits from the twins. Both wore matching blue baby clothes. Sakura can't help but smile. _They look like angels!_

"You have NO idea," Naruto said with a groan. "I haven't had a decent night's sleep for two months!" _Not to mention I haven't had a decent lay at all_. Last night, they woke up five times again to feed and change one of the twins, or both of the twins. "You're lucky. At least you're just going to have one kid. Do you know what gender it would be?"

"The ultrasound confirmed it's going to be boy, Naruto-kun," Rock Lee answered from behind Sakura. His eyes were shining with pride and joy.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look, inwardly shuddering at what the baby would look like. Would Sakura's baby look like her or her husband, or would it be a combination of both? Naruto nearly fainted with laughter and horror at the thought of a miniature pink-haired, bowl-cut, thick-browed, googly-eyed, spandex-wearing Lee.

"You're making fun of my baby again, aren't you?" Sakura demanded, hands on her hips and eyebrows twitching when she saw the way Naruto's eyes rolled back and his lips twitch with suppressed laughter.

"No, Sakura-chan, I'm not," Naruto replied hastily.

A small, whimpering sound came from the crib. Sasuke sighed, stood up, and went over to the crib. He glared at Sakura and Naruto. "Look what you two have done. You woke the twins up." Bending over, he scooped up Hisoka, who was indeed, wide-awake. As soon as Hisoka was in Sasuke's arms, the youngest Uchiha quieted down.

"Sorry," Sakura and Naruto said at the same time. Naruto then took Hikaru, cuddling his firstborn close. Hikaru gravely regarded Naruto with his blue eyes, and then turned his tiny head to where his twin sister was.

Sakura looked at them fondly. "Looks like Hisoka-chan's going to be a daddy's girl. And look, she has Sasuke-kun's eyes!" she said when Hisoka opened her eyes, revealing their jet-black color. Hisoka regarded Sakura calmly, and then glanced away, burying her face on Sasuke's shoulder.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You have no idea how much of a daddy's girl she is. She wouldn't even let me hold her. Every time I do, she starts crying on top of her lungs. She only behaves with Sasuke."

"Then if Hisoka-chan will be a daddy's girl, then Hikaru-chan will be a mommy's boy?" Lee asked, glancing at Naruto and Hikaru.

"I hope not. Hikaru-chan needs a better role model than Naruto," Sakura remarked with a grin.

"Are you making fun of me, Sakura-chan?" Naruto growled out.

Sakura looked innocently at Naruto. "Would I do that, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto scowled. Then he turned to Lee, who was making funny faces at Hikaru. Hikaru's face screw up a little, not sure what to make of the strange man in front of him. "Congratulations on becoming jounin, by the way. I heard Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chouji passed, too." Naruto sighed. Naruto was happy for his friends, but he did wish he entered, but he was pregnant at that time. "I wish I could go back to training and missions, but I can't until the twins are a bit older."

"Ah, thank you, Naruto-kun. But isn't Sasuke-san still taking missions and doing training?" Lee pointed out. "Why can't you?"

"Someone has to stay home and watch the babies. And I don't really mind." It wasn't really a lie, sort of. Naruto did miss training, and he longed for missions and sparring matches. After almost a year of not training, he was more than eager to get back to being a shinobi. But he was also a parent, and he just couldn't abandon his kids when they were so young.

Sakura's features softened. "You know, you're such a fussy mother, Naruto-kun. I've never thought you'd be like this. You must have gotten it from Iruka-sensei."

Naruto laughed uncomfortably. He could feel Sasuke's eyes boring into him. They haven't _really_ talked about Naruto going back to his shinobi duties. He had a feeling they were going to have a talk later on.

Sakura had a speculative look in her eyes. "Hmm, maybe we girls could make arrangements. Ino-pig, Hinata, and I could watch the twins for you while you guys train and go to missions."

Naruto blinked at the offer. "Eh? But Hinata already have two kids to take care of." A few days after Naruto gave birth, Hinata went to labor and was delivered of a daughter they named Hokuto. "And don't you and Ino have other things to do?"

"Not really. And it's not really a bother. It would be a joy to take care of the twins. And besides, it would be some sort of practice for me and Ino-pig."

"But you'll be giving birth soon, and then you won't have time to take care of the babies," Naruto said, frowning a little. He held his son a bit tighter. He really didn't want to saddle the twins to anyone. In fact, he wasn't comfortable with _anyone_ taking care of the twins other than him and Sasuke. Naruto was a bit unnerved on how possessive and protective he felt for his children.

Sakura caught the look on Naruto's face and smiled. "You're very protective of the twins, aren't you?"

"Well," Naruto began, laughing sheepishly, "the twins might not be comfortable with other people. They haven't been around many people, you know. They might get upset. And the villagers…"

Since the twins' birth, he and Sasuke rarely ventured outside of the apartment with them and if they did, it was usually just a few feet from their apartment. The villagers still didn't know about the twins being their children._ Hell, they probably don't even know about the twins' existence._ Naruto still had the gnawing fear of what the villagers' reaction would be, especially in view of the fact that Hikaru has the same whisker scars as his.

Besides, the twins really haven't been around many people in the past two months. Sakura was a frequent visitor, and so were Tsunade, Shizune, Iruka, and Kakashi. Other than that, the others just passed by occasionally.

"I don't think the villagers would be a problem. When they see how adorable these two are, they'd melt."

"Thanks, Sakura-chan, but I'm sorry if I don't share your optimism." Naruto flashed her a grin tinged with a hint of bitterness. "Personal experience tells me so."

Sakura sobered at Naruto's smile. "I know." Then she grinned back. "I think the twins are quite safe here in Konoha. I'm sure you'll do great physical harm to anyone who'd try to hurt them."

"They'd be dead before they know it," Naruto muttered. "Then there's still the snake bastard and Itachi. So we can't really leave the twins alone or to anyone. Too unsafe."

"I heard Hokage-sama wanted to have ANBU shadowing the twins," Lee mused.

Sasuke raised one eyebrow. "What makes you think they aren't already?"

Sakura looked startled and looked around. "They are? I didn't notice. I must be getting out of practice."

"Eh? I didn't know about them, too," Naruto remarked, eyes wide with feigned innocence.

"Yeah, right, Naruto." Sakura smirked. Naruto let out another sheepish laugh. He'd detected the ANBU the moment they arrived and a while ago, he saw Sasuke talking with one of them.

"So what are your plans, then? Wait until the twins are older? Isn't that a bit long?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Actually, I've been thinking of using my Kage Bunshin to do the babysitting."

Sakura's eyes widened with disbelief. "You're not serious, Naruto! Don't tell me you're leaving the care of your twins to mere clones at all times!" She glanced at Sasuke, who was scowling at Naruto. "Even Sasuke-kun doesn't approve of the idea!"

Naruto winced. "Hey, I said I was just thinking about it! And I didn't mean 'at all times'. Just at night, I guess. Someone to stand guard, or pat them to sleep. My chakra's almost unlimited, so it doesn't really put that much strain on me to maintain a Kage Bunshin all night. I'm not THAT stupid to leave the care of the twins to mere clones at all times."

Sakura thought the idea over. "Hmmm…it does seem like a good idea. Did I just say Naruto had a good idea? I really must be out of practice."

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

"So what will you do now?" Lee asked, trying to calm things before Sakura and Naruto would go into a full-blown squabble.

"We'll think of something," Naruto said. "We always do."

"That's what I was afraid of," Sakura muttered under her breath.

------

After Sakura and Lee left, Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto and asked, "Why didn't you say anything about wanting to go back to training?"

"Well," Naruto began, smiling slightly as he bounced Hikaru in his lap, "I really didn't want to bother you anymore. You already gave up joining the jounin exam for me. And I really don't mind being with the twins."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I thought training was one of your favorite things in this world. And whatever happened to the competitive Naruto I knew? And since when did you care about not bothering me?"

"Bastard. Fine. I do want to go back to my shinobi duties. But who's going to take of these two?"

"Dobe, we could take turns and alternate missions." Sasuke glanced at his daughter, who was happily playing with Sasuke's hair, chubby hand gripping his long raven locks, wincing a little when she gave one a hard tug. "They're growing up fast, aren't they?"

"Yeah. Tsunade-baachan says babies generally grow a lot during the first few months. Pretty soon, these two would be crawling and walking." Naruto looked around. "We should get a bigger apartment. This one's not big enough for the four of us."

"We could always move back into my place," Sasuke said in a deadpan voice.

Naruto's eyes widened. "The Uchiha compound? No way. That place is creepy." Naruto wanted to hit himself when he realized what he had just said. "I meant–"

Sasuke gave a small bitter smile. "Don't say it, Naruto." His eyes had a distant look in them, remembering. "That place…may not be the best one for them to grow up. Too many old ghosts."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered, suddenly uncomfortable. As always, discussing about the Uchiha clan and anything connected to it brought about a tense silence. Eager to change the subject, Naruto said, "Maybe I could ask Tsunade-baachan about the missions, so we could alternate or something. By the way, I saw one of the ANBU talking to you a while ago. What was that all about?"

Sasuke grunted. "Nothing. We were discussing about their orders."

"Ah, okay." Naruto's eyes narrowed for a moment, but he didn't say anything else.

-------

"Well, looks like you two are doing a good job on the twins. They're very, very healthy." Tsunade announced after she gave the twins a thorough check-up. Tsunade eyed the feeding bottle on Naruto's hand with narrowed eyes, and then smirked at Naruto. "Why do you bother feeding them with that? You could use Sexy no Jutsu and transform into a woman and breastfeed them, you know."

"NO!" Naruto cried out. Bottle still in one hand as he fed Hikaru, he glared at Tsunade. "NO WAY! I've been stuck in a girl's body for nine months, and that's long enough for me." He stuck out his tongue at the Fifth Hokage. "If you're so eager, why don't _you_ feed them with _your _boobs? They're certainly big enough for four!"

"Naruto," Tsunade growled in warning. In the background, Kakashi was trying hard to stifle a laugh.

"Don't shout, usuratonkachi," Sasuke said. Cradling the happily feeding Hisoka closer to him, he continued, "You're disturbing the twins."

"So," Kakashi said with a smile, "have you decided what names the kids are you going to call you with? Is Naruto going to be 'mommy'?"

Naruto gave Kakashi a nasty look. "Shut up, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi went on, heedless of the imminent danger to his health. "You know, you have to explain it to them sometime why their parents happen to be both _guys_." He grinned at them. "I'd give a lot to be there to see their expression."

Sasuke glared at Kakashi, and then turned to the Hokage. "Is there anything else? I assume you're not just here for a check-up, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade frowned at the Uchiha's tone, but said nothing of it. Instead, she replied, "Yes. It seems like the Akatsuki have been keeping a low profile. There hadn't been many reports on them. Meanwhile, there has been considerable activity in Sound. It seems Orochimaru has a new body."

"What? But I thought he wanted Sasuke's body!" Naruto blurted out.

"It's been three years or so," Sasuke said, his voice flinty. He narrowed his eyes. "He needs to replace his body every three years. Do we know whose body he took?"

Tsunade shook her head, lips curling with disgust. "No, we haven't managed to get that information out. I had hoped you would have an idea whose body he would chose, Uchiha."

Sasuke made no reaction at the rather offhand way Tsunade alluded to his past association with Orochimaru. "Kabuto had been volunteering to be the body, but I doubt it's him. Kabuto is far too shrewd in Orochimaru's opinion to be his new body. He needs someone he can dominate without much effort. Probably one of the Four Gate Guardians, but I don't know who among them. Or someone I don't know."

"The new Gate Guardians seems to be intact. It could be someone new."

"Then I wouldn't know who it is."

Tsunade flashed a warning look at the Uchiha. "Anyway, Naruto, as you've requested, I've put you back in the active shinobi list. And you should be pleased to know that your protégé, Sarutobi Konohamaru and his friends have graduated from the Academy."

Naruto grinned. "GREAT! I have to congratulate them!" He hadn't seen much of Konohamaru and his friends during the course of his pregnancy, just an occasional glimpse every now and then when Naruto went to the Hokage tower, and they didn't know at that time that the blonde girl they saw was Naruto. "Who's their jounin?"

"That would be Nara Shikamaru. He's just newly appointed, but we're a little short on available jounin."

Naruto let out a snort of laughter. "Shikamaru? That lazy-ass? I wish him a lot of luck!" A sudden idea flashed in his mind. "Ne, Tsunade-baachan, can you do a little favor for me?"

Tsunade looked suspiciously at Naruto. "You're up to no good, are you, brat?"

Naruto just grinned back, and then whispered something into Tsunade's ear. When Naruto was finished, both of them were wearing evil-looking grins.

------

"Naruto-niichan!" Konohamaru shouted as soon as he saw Naruto. Naruto gave a start on how tall Konohamaru had grown in the past months they hadn't seen each other. "You're back from your mission!" Behind him, Moegi and Udon were also making similar remarks. Like Konohamaru, they had grown as well.

Naruto just smiled at them. He missed the three, and it felt good being around them. "Yo, Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon! Congratulations!"

Konohamaru smiled back. "Now I'm a step closer in beating you, my rival!" His voice was no longer as thin and squeaky as before.

Naruto resisted the urge to ruffle Konohamaru's hair. Some things never change. "You wish." Naruto's grin was positively evil when he saw Shikamaru trudging behind them, a look of profound pain on his face. "So, Shikamaru, enjoying things?"

Shikamaru flashed Naruto an annoyed look. "They're very noisy. Like you."

Naruto's grin widened. "The Hokage asked me to give your mission."

Moegi made a face. "Are we going to weed gardens again?"

Naruto laughed, remembering how he hated those kinds of missions. "No. It's a special, secret mission. I used my, uh, connections to get them especially for you!" He waved a scroll in front of them.

Konohamaru's eyes sparkled at the words 'secret' and 'special'. Shikamaru regarded Naruto suspiciously. "What is it?" Udon asked, eyeing the scroll apprehensively.

He handed the scroll to Shikamaru, who took it with a scowl. Unfurling it open, Shikamaru read it rapidly, and then gave Naruto the first look of disbelief Naruto had ever seen Shikamaru make. Naruto gave him a vicious smile, clearly enjoying everything. "Think of it as practice for things to come."

Konohamaru also read the scroll and frowned angrily. "It's just a babysitting mission! What's so special and secret about it?"

"Because the babies you'd be babysitting are mine and Sasuke's," Naruto said in an off-handed manner.

The Konohamaru Corps' eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Yours–" Moegi gasped.

"–and Uchiha-san's–" Udon stuttered.

"–babies?" Konohamaru said in a voice barely above a whisper. His face turned into a bright shade of red. "But how did that happen? You're both GUYS!"

Naruto was laughing like mad by then, and between guffaws, he said, "Remember my Oiroke no Jutsu?"

Konohamaru nodded.

"Remember that blonde girl that you used to see going to the Hokage tower?"

Konohamaru nodded again, and then as realization hit him, he blushed again. "That was you?"

Naruto briefly wondered if Konohamaru's relatives would kill him for ruining the boy's innocence this was. "Yep."

"The Oiroke can do THAT?"

"Yep."

Konohamaru fainted.

"How troublesome," was all Shikamaru said.

------

All in all, the arrangement worked out. After the initial shock, the Konohamaru Corps quickly adjusted to the situation and became close to the twins. They would do the babysitting when Naruto and Sasuke were both out on missions. It was good training, Tsunade had said. It thought the kids responsibility and helped developed their senses and stealth techniques. Naruto was both amused and proud at how seriously the three took their duties.

The twins accepted this change with equanimity, although they were times the twins would overwhelm them. However, most the time, the twins were good-natured and hardly fussed at all.

At night, the Kage Bunshins would take over, and for a while, Naruto and Sasuke enjoyed some measure of normal sleep. They still had to wake up to change diapers, though.

The security of the twins was tight. The ANBU kept faithful watch, and Shikamaru could effectively deal with any threat that might occur while he was with the twins. And, with the combined skills of Naruto and Sasuke, a sane person would think more than twice before doing anything unpleasant to the twins.

Naruto resumed his training with Jiraiya, but the toad-sennin was away most of the time, going off to do some 'research'. Sasuke, on the other hand, continued training with Kakashi, and occasionally, much to Naruto's surprise, with Maito Gai.

And so, time passed, and life, at that moment, was good.

------

The months passed, and now, the twins were eight months old, and walking about, which Sakura remarked to be quite advanced for their age. They've begun to babble and coo as well and would turn when someone called their name.

There were other changes and developments in Konohagakure. Sakura had given birth to a boy, whom they named Ryuuichi. The baby had black hair like Lee's, but his features and eyes belonged to Sakura. Everyone was relieved at that. Lee was a little disappointed that the boy didn't look like him, though, but he was very happy and proud as any new father was. He did 500 laps around Konohagakure in celebration of his son's birth.

Ino, not to be outdone, gave birth to a boy as well, the splitting image of his father. And as Nara tradition dictated, the boy was named Shikani. Shikamaru now often spends his free time doing laundry while Ino would dote on their baby, buying all kinds of stuff. Though he seemed disgruntled at the turn of events, the tiny smile that would touch Shikamaru's lips when he looked as his wife and child told others he wasn't as disgruntled at he appeared to be.

By then, Naruto and Sasuke were well on their way becoming jounin and catching up with their 'batch'. The missions kept them busy, but not busy enough that they wouldn't have time for their children.

In one of their day-offs, they found that most of their friends had taken one as well. Sakura, Hinata, and Ino suggested a little get-together party with the children. Naruto privately suspected the girls were just dying to show off their babies. Mothers were like that, he noticed.

Sasuke just nodded in agreement. The Uchiha was distant in the past few days, often brooding and deep in thought. Naruto tried to ask what was wrong, but all he met were monosyllables as answers.

As a father, Sasuke was far from perfect, but he was improving steadily. Sometimes, he would look at Hikaru with narrowed eyes, not saying a word. But with Hisoka, Sasuke was different. His dark eyes would soften, and he would often cradle her close. Hisoka was just as taken with Sasuke. She'd often play with Sasuke's hair, which has steadily grown longer, gurgling happily when she tugged his hair. When not playing with Sasuke's hair, she'd be playing with his nose, which was what Hisoka was doing right now. Then, she squirmed free of Sasuke's grasp and began crawling about the floor.

"_You're going to spoil her when she grows up," Naruto remarked one time. Sasuke was smiling at Hisoka as she crawled about the floor. It was absurd, but sometimes Naruto was jealous of the two, and he had a sneaky feeling Hisoka knew about it and took advantage._

"_So?" Sasuke said. Hisoka was now with her twin brother, who was busy examining the teddy bear Gaara had given to the twins, a tiny frown on his face. "She's a lot like you."_

"_She is?" Naruto glanced at Hisoka, who looked at him briefly, then glanced away. "I though she inherited your more snobbish qualities."_

_Sasuke glared at him, then his gaze fell on Hikaru. "Hikaru will probably obtain the Sharingan, but Hisoka won't. The Sharingan is partial to Uchiha males. That's why Orochimaru might be interested in Hikaru." _

"_Oh." Naruto couldn't say anything else to that. _

"_Hn. If Orochimaru decides to take Hikaru, we have to do something to prevent that."_

"_Tsunade already have ANBU guarding the twins."_

_Sasuke snorted. "You're a fool if you think that's enough to stop Orochimaru or Itachi." _

A loud knock on the door broke through Naruto's thoughts. "Ero-sennin!" Naruto burst out when he saw Jiraiya standing outside. "What the hell are you doing here? When did you get back?"

"Watch your mouth, brat! And how many times must I remind you my name is Jiraiya!" Jiraiya grunted and peered inside, frowning a little when he saw the twins and a scowling Sasuke. "Oho! Are those the twins? They've gotten bigger since the last time I've seen them!" Brushing past Naruto, he went inside the apartment.

"This one looks a lot like you," Jiraiya remarked when he saw Hisoka. Hisoka looked curiously at Jiraiya.

"Don't stand so close to Hisoka, Ero-sennin," Naruto warned. "She might–" Naruto sighed when he heard Jiraiya give a yelp of surprise, "–pull your hair."

"Quite a strong grip she has there," Jiraiya muttered, wincing as Hisoka continued to pull Jiraiya's hair. The toad-sennin picked her up, ignoring her little kicks as she was lifted into the air. "Enough of that miss," he said sternly. "Let go of my hair."

"Gah!" Hisoka cried, tugging harder. "Spirited, isn't she?" Jiraiya murmured as he tried to pry his hair from Hisoka's death grip.

"You have no idea," Naruto muttered. He took Hikaru in his arms. The youngest Uchiha regarded Naruto gravely, and then turned to Jiraiya and his struggling twin before gazing at his Naruto. "Na-to," he said gravely.

"Na-to?" Jiraiya asked, cringing when Hisoka grabbed his nose, gurgling all the while.

"Their version of Naruto," Sasuke said.

"At least they don't call me, 'dobe'. With the way you've been calling me that, I'm surprised those weren't their first words!" Naruto retorted.

"Da!" Hisoka exclaimed, hands reaching out to Sasuke. Jiraiya eagerly gave her to her father, but not before Hisoka smiled at him and tugged his hair again. "I think she likes you," Naruto said.

"Daddy's girl," Jiraiya remarked with a smile. "Anyway, I'm not here for just a visit." His face took on a serious expression. "There's been considerable activity in Sound. As Tsunade might have told you, Orochimaru has a new body. We still don't know who, but it seems Kabuto is missing."

"What? You mean he took Kabuto's body?" Naruto exclaimed.

Jiraiya shrugged. "We don't know as of yet. He might be, or he could be in a mission, but until we're sure, exercise utmost caution. Tsunade has given orders to double the ANBU guards. Don't do anything foolish like hunting out Kabuto or Orochimaru. Just stay with your children." He glanced at Sasuke, who remained expressionless.

Naruto caught the look, and wondered if what Jiraiya was talking about had something to do with Sasuke's recent brooding. "Don't worry, we'll protect our children. They'll be in for a nasty surprise."

Sasuke said nothing, but the fierce light in his dark eyes said it all.

-----

Despite the danger they were in, Naruto tried to be cheerful at the get together party. The others, however, still noticed, and it wasn't long until they had the whole story from Naruto.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun," Lee said. "We'll also help in protecting your children."

"Thanks, Lee." Naruto watched with a smile as his children interacted with his friends' kids. Hisoka was busy playing blocks with Hokuto, Neji and Hinata's daughter, while Hiroshi and Hikaru seemed to be engaged in a staring contest. The fact that Hyuuga Hiroshi was almost a year older than Hikaru didn't seem to deter the Uchiha.

Behind the men, Ino was showing of some little sleepwear she had made for her son and Sakura's. She'd also given some to Naruto's kids, one in the likeness of a nine-tailed fox while the other was a frog. Hisoka got the fox, Hikaru the frog, which was weird in Naruto's opinion, because it was Hikaru who had the whiskers, not Hisoka.

Beside him, Sasuke was silent and indifferent as usual, until Kiba said, "Hey, Uchiha. I heard the ANBU had been scouting you to join them. Have you accepted yet?"

Every eye swung to Sasuke, who regarded Kiba quite calmly. A tense silence settled on the group, Kiba wondering if he'd said something wrong. The others knew only a thread of control prevented Sasuke from killing Kiba immediately.

Sasuke finally spoke. "No, I haven't." He met Naruto's narrowed eyes with unnerving stillness, as if daring the blond to say something. Naruto didn't though.

The party soon ended after that, the others casting worried looks at the silent Naruto and Sasuke as they left, oblivious to Kiba's prattling in the background.

"Have I said something wrong?"

"No," Neji replied, eyeing Sasuke and Naruto. He could feel the barely contained fury radiating from the two. "You haven't said _anything_ wrong."

-------

"So, when were you going to tell me the ANBU was asking you to join them?" Naruto said in a calm voice. They had come home in silence, and it wasn't until the twins were safely tucked in their crib with their Kage Bunshin nannies did Naruto speak out. "Was this why you've been brooding these past few days?"

He was mad. Really mad. He could tell Sasuke was angry as well, but he didn't care.

"Why are you making a big deal out of this, Naruto?" Sasuke didn't sound repentant at all, Naruto noted. "I didn't tell you because I haven't made a decision yet."

"I'm not stupid Sasuke. That's not the reason why you haven't said a word. You know I wouldn't have any problems if you joined the ANBU." Naruto's eyes narrowed again, remembering Jiraiya's words…the sannin mentioned something about a hunt. Naruto felt himself grow cold. "Or was it really the ANBU asking you to join? Sasuke, don't tell me it was the hunter-nins…" Naruto's voice trailed off for a moment. The hunter-nins were those who chased and killed the villages' missing nins, which included Itachi and Orochimaru.

Naruto grabbed a fistful of Sasuke's shirt. "What were you THINKING, you bastard! Going after them on your own? Are you insane! They'd kill you! Didn't you even think about the twins? Or were you thinking of revenge again?"

Sasuke pried Naruto's hand away. "I _am_ thinking of the twins. A whole ANBU squad guarded me when I was a child, and yet Kabuto had just been a hair's breath away from abducting me. What makes you think that will change anytime soon? They are too weak to protect the twins. I am not leaving the safety of my children in their incapable hands. Being a hunter-nin will give me the training to–"

"Then what? So you think the only way to eliminate the threat is to hunt them down on your own and kill them?" Naruto's voice had grown cold. "What makes you think you'll able to kill them? You couldn't do it then, what makes you think you can do it _now_?"

"Naruto," Sasuke growled out.

Naruto opened his mouth to say more but the sudden wrench of returning chakra stopped him cold. That, and an alien, oppressive presence he only felt now followed by a loud wail that was abruptly cut off. He and Sasuke looked at each other simultaneously, and without another word, flashed to where the twins.

The bedroom door burst into splinters as the two entered.

Kabuto, silver hair glowing in the dim moonlight, smiled at them, white teeth gleaming. In his arms were two squirming bundles. Then, before they could move, he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note:** Cliffhanger! The chase is ON! Mwahahahaha! Don't kill us, please! Don't you just hate Orochimaru now? This chapter is EVIL, I tell you. It took me forever to write this! And look how long it is! More plot, thank the gods. I'm sorry if there isn't that much 'show'. Maybe when we edit, or when we put up an omake. XD

**Chibi-onna1:** Nah. I don't think so… I'm too busy. School's being bitchy again. Sorry, guys, maybe next time…

**Horny Naruto:** Oh, gods, that was a pain to write! I always had Sasuke taking the lead, but it's Naruto initiating stuff this time. XD Too bad the twins interrupted them.

**Mistaken identity:** A weird thing happened to me (twisted-sheets) during the period I was writing this chapter. I was with my four-year-old cousin, riding on a pedicab (a kind of bicycle with a cart of sorts and four wheels), when the driver asked if she was my daughter. Eww. I'm only twenty, please. XD And I'm not good with kids. Really.

**Chibi-onna1:** :wheeze: Y-you? A mom:fits of laughter: I'm sorry, twisted-sheets.. No offense, but I **CAN'T **imagine… I'm good with kids, though… They love me… hehe.

**About the twins' names and their meaning:** Some readers pointed out that 'himitsu' was the proper word in Japanese for secret. While this is true, the nature of Japanese characters, namely 'kanji', makes it possible for a kanji to have different meanings, spellings and pronunciation. XD In Hisoka's case, her name has only one kanji, and that kanji means 'secret'. You could say the 'hi' in Hisoka's name is the same as the 'hi' in himitsu. XD Gah! I suck at Japanese! If you're in doubt, Hisoka's name was derived from a character in Yami no Matsuei, Kurosaki Hisoka! Check out the kanji in his name, it's the same as Uchiha Hisoka's! And yes, like Hikaru, Hisoka can either be a boy or a girl's name.

As for Hikaru, the difference between Hikari and Hikaru is that the former is a noun, the latter is a verb. But basically, they have the same kanji! Damn, my Japanese sucks.

**The eyes:** As far as I know, a baby's eyes changes for a while before they get their permanent color. Most Caucasian (lighter-skinned) babies have blue eyes when they're born, while darker-skinned babies are usually black, grayish-black, or brown at birth. XD

**Walking:** Yes, a baby can start walking as early as eight months. I, twisted-sheets, should know, because that's when I started walking. No kidding. My mom said I never bothered to crawl. I just got up and started walking. Weird. XD

**Daddy Sasuke and Mommy Naruto:** Sasuke's rather awkward with kids. And he still has his hang-ups. He's terribly biased. But he's trying to be the best father he can be. XD Mommy Naruto's doing a great job with Hikaru, though. This chapter was such a pain to write. We had to show a softer Sasuke without making it seem that he was OOC. Was he OOC? Do tell.

**The quarrel:** Naruto doesn't want Sasuke as a hunter-nin because he knows Sasuke would hunt down Itachi and Orochimaru, and he knows it's not healthy for Sasuke to do that, if you know what I mean. The quarrel might seem abrupt, but you read the fic again, you'd see it was coming. Sasuke's keeping secrets again. And Sasuke does really look at the Leaf as quite weak, if you think about it. XD And yes, he is an arrogant ass.

**Chibi-onna1:** Yeah, an arrogant ass that snagged my brother…

**Kage Bunshin Babysitters:** Ehem. I knew that technique would come in handy in the future. Damn Naruto and Sasuke, they're cheating. XD Eehehehe. We're milking Naruto's techniques for all they're worth, no pun intended. XD

**Konohamaru Corps:** They're so adorable, and they make the best choice as babysitters. They'd be twelve or so years old. I think Naruto and Sasuke traumatized them for life. XD And poor, poor Shikamaru. Hmmm…when I watch the anime, I always hear Konohamaru address Naruto as 'Naruto-niichan'. I could be wrong though.

**Chibi-onna1:** :bows: thanks for reading guys! See ya in the next chapter!

**Next chapter:** The chase is on! What happens to the twins? Will Naruto and Sasuke be able to save their kids from Orochimaru's clutches? -hears screams of 'Kabuto and Orochimaru must die' in the background-


	10. Chapter X: Futatsu no Mirai

**Disclaimer:** If Naruto were mine, such a thing would be fine. Alas! Rights belong to Kishimoto, and should I claim it I would pay a huge fine! (Please excuse my rather lame attempt at poetic…ness)

**Author's note:** Uhhh…sorry it took me a while to update. Here is the next chapter…This is a rather short chapter, but we had a hard time writing it; you'll find out why soon enough. And be reminded that the events here sometimes happen simultaneously, so it's not really that 'chronologically' ordered. Not much conversation too, for a change. And please excuse what would seem to be the overuse of pathetic fallacy (am I right?).

In this chapter, Sasuke and Naruto find out all things must come to its inevitable conclusion, no matter how good or bad things are.

Just a thought, I was playing "Never Meant to Belong" from the Bleach soundtrack while writing this.

Oh, by the way, I made plushies of Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade, along with Itachi and Yondaime. If you want to see them, go to this site: **w w w . m e l r o s e s t o r m h a v e n . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m**

And please read **Chibi-onna1's** fanfics! She's really good.

**Warnings: Yaoi. Light Violence.** Run away if scared.

**Pairings: SasuNaru. KakaIru.** ShikaIno, NejiHina, SakuLee…and a whole lot more!

This is for our **reviewers**, especially **Gonrie**, who was very enthusiastic (you'll get more ShikaIno next chapter!) and **danna-chan**, because she's very perceptive. **Light of Fallen Darkness**, your friend was very adventurous as a kid. Climbing, huh? Cool! whom we were not able to reply to for today! Gomen! We love you:huggles reviewers: PLEASE READ THE ABOVE AUTHOR'S NOTE to avoid confusion later on! XD And if you want to know when we update, just list down your email.

**Chapter X: Futatsu no Mirai **

The air smelled of rain.

The wind was as icy as a witch's kiss as it slapped against Naruto's face and tugged at his clothes like an insistent lover. The heavy scent of dust and moisture filtered through his nose, into his lungs, making it hard for him to breathe: interfering with the scent of his children and Kabuto.

The branch beneath his feet cracked sharply as he leapt high into the air, drawing as much chakra as he dared from the Kyuubi. It was like the time he raced to get Sasuke to the hospital just over a year ago, but now his surroundings were a blur of the browns, greens and silvery black of summer nights, unlike the grays and whites of the past winter morn. Then, he'd been running for Sasuke's life, now it was for his–no–_their_ twins.

Sasuke soared beside him, eyes bleeding in the blood red of the Sharingan. In the corner of his Kyuubi-enhanced eyes, Naruto could see the curse seal slowly pulsing into life. Sasuke's lips were drawn back into a silent snarl, his fury, like Naruto's, barely contained in his trembling body.

The blond bit his lip as he recalled what happened in the apartment. As soon as Kabuto disappeared, half a dozen dead ANBU appeared, swinging their swords in deadly, jerky arcs. Naruto had his Kage Bunshins deal with them, while Sasuke burned them into ashes with a fire jutsu. Then, with the dead ANBU still smoking behind them, they leapt into the air, and the chase was on.

How could they have been so stupid? Jiraiya had warned them, they should have been more cautious. And Sasuke was right; the ANBU was not enough to effectively deal with Orochimaru. How could they have been so blind, so arrogant? Lulled into contentment by their happiness, they have paid a bitter price for their arrogance and forgetfulness.

Naruto took a deep breath. No use crying over spilt milk. They had to find the twins, save them, and kill Kabuto for even daring to take them. The thought of inflicting grave physical injuries on Kabuto strengthened Naruto's resolve, and with another forceful burst of chakra, he jumped.

------

The curse seal burned into his neck like a fiery claw, digging deep into his flesh, as cruel and unyielding as the fate before them.

Sasuke smothered a curse. Though the seals made by Tsunade and Jiraiya mitigated the effects of the curse seal, it still brought him pain whenever he used chakra, especially with the Sharingan. The pain was an ant's bite at most times, but in the presence of its maker, the curse seal was a fiery brand searing into his skin.

That was why he knew Orochimaru was here.

He was not sure if Orochimaru had taken Kabuto's form, but he sensed that the Snake Sannin was in this forest, lurking about. He should have expected that. Orochimaru wasn't about to leave this task to others alone, even to Kabuto; he had to be part of it somehow, watching, waiting to strike like the snake he was.

The Uchiha wondered if reinforcements would arrive. Naruto had sent one of his clones to the Godaime Hokage. Truth be told, Sasuke would have preferred to keep matters to themselves, as there was no telling what Kabuto or Orochimaru would do once cornered.

His gut tightened at the thought of the two. Though he and Naruto had left everything unsaid, Sasuke knew he took a large blame of what was happening right now. The sins of the father passing on to his children. _My cursed bloodline. Once again, it has touched my life and family. _Orochimaru wanted the Sharingan so badly. He'd learned that in his year with him; he didn't miss the covetous, almost obsessive glances Orochimaru gave him.

But this was no time to assign blame. They needed to find the twins; fast. Lifting his head, Sasuke shouted over to Naruto, "Kabuto isn't alone. Orochimaru is here."

Naruto looked at him and nodded, not bothering to ask how Sasuke knew. With scarcely a pause in his step, Naruto released his clones, and soon they were off to different directions to search for the twins.

Sasuke's gaze fell back to the trees ahead, trying to find any unusual chakra in the vicinity with his Sharingan eyes. Orochimaru would pay for this.

--------

"I want them found as soon as possible. If you have to cut down the whole forest to find them, do it," Tsunade said, her mouth drawn into a tight, grim line. She was in office, dressed in her sleeping robes, but she didn't care. This was an emergency.

In front of her, Kiba, Neji, and Lee nodded. Tsunade decided they would be the best team to look for the twins: Kiba with his dog and sense of smell, Neji with his Byakugan, and Lee with his speed. They'd been hastily awakened, but eager to help.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. _Will they be enough?_ she asked herself. Though the clone had said it was Kabuto who took the twins, Tsunade had a feeling Orochimaru was close by. It was hard to tell; he had a new body now. "Jiraiya is already on his way to help. No matter what you do, make sure you don't endanger the twins, or interfere with Naruto and Sasuke. Once you get the twins to safety, get out. Do not fight Orochimaru and Kabuto unless necessary. Now go!"

Tsunade watched them leave, but the fist around her heart didn't ease a bit. She looked at the sky, watching intently at the sudden streak of lightning flashing across it and sniffed the air. Rain. Of all things to happen, why did it have to rain? Rain would interfere with the search, blocking not only sight but scent as well. Orochimaru had chosen his time well.

"I'm sure they'll find the twins soon, Tsunade-sama, and bring them back safe and sound," Shizune said from behind her. Tonton whined her assent, but snuffed worriedly.

"I don't understand why Orochimaru had to take both of the twins. He only needs the boy for the Sharingan. Why take the girl?" It was Hikaru who would probably obtain the Sharingan, not Hisoka. What use does Orochimaru have for the girl? Tsunade felt a chill rush up her spine at the sudden thought of the possible things he might do to the girl. Hisoka still had Uchiha blood in her, after all.

"Perhaps he intends to use the girl as hostage, or maybe Kabuto couldn't tell which is which in the dark and when he panicked when Naruto and Sasuke arrived, he grabbed them both."

Tsunade shook her head. "Orochimaru would never make mistakes like that. But let us hope you're right that they'll find the twins soon." She can only imagine the grief Naruto would go through if he lost the twins. _Gods help them._

--------

_There! _

Naruto's pace quickened when he caught scent of their twins and of other less friendly elements as well. He carefully called off his clones, and motioned to Sasuke, who nodded grimly and pressed on. The combined rush of fear and adrenaline made him heady, but he shook his head. He needed a clear mind for this one. The lives of his children depended on it.

No sooner had he caught scent of the twins did he spot Kabuto among the trees, white hair gleaming strangely in the forest. Kabuto seemed to turn to them, and then smiled before he went deeper into the woods. Naruto moved to follow them, but then a dozen or so nins appeared. Swearing, he summoned his clones. "You won't stop me!" he shouted as the place exploded into a storm of steel and jutsus, quickly reducing the numbers of their enemy.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" A huge ball of flame rushed at the enemy nins, engulfing them in its fiery embrace. In a few minutes, they were reduced to ashes.

Sasuke turned to him. "If Orochimaru's with them, I'll–"

"You'll deal with Kabuto." Naruto locked gazes with Sasuke. "I'll go for Orochimaru."

"Don't be stupid, dobe," Sasuke snapped. "Orochimaru's–"

"–might be after you too and you still have the curse seal! Don't be stubborn, Sasuke!" Naruto glared at the Uchiha, who glared back, but then nodded.

"Fine." Sasuke's hands flashed again, and he delivered another fireball, toasting the rest of the enemies. "Now let's go."

-------

"What the hell was that?" Kiba exclaimed at the sudden burst of fiery light in an area of the forest.

"That would be the Uchiha," Neji said calmly. "The fight has begun."

The sudden flash of lightning that illuminated the dark sky and the loud boom of thunder made Kiba jump. "Dammit! It's raining!" he exclaimed as needle-like drops fell from the sky in a thunderous roar that quickly drench every thing in sight. "How are we going to find them in this?"

-------

_Shit! It's raining! _Naruto said to himself as he felt the rain pound on his back. Kabuto was still well ahead of them, and even with his Kyuubi-enhanced senses, Naruto already had a hard time keeping track of them without the rain. "Dammit!" Beside him, Sasuke pushed on determinedly, not minding the rain.

The chase seemed to go for hours. Naruto resisted the urge to blast away the offending trees standing in the way. Biting away his impatience, he was a little startled to hear the sudden hiss of pain from Sasuke. Glancing at the Uchiha, he could faintly see the curse seal pulse into life. His head snapped back to where Kabuto was. His blood grew cold when he saw that Kabuto was no longer alone. Orochimaru was with him.

A few minutes later, they caught up with Kabuto and Orochimaru in a small clearing in the forest, not too far from a river. The silver-haired nin and Orochimaru stood a few meters away from them, smiling.

Naruto eyed them warily. Orochimaru seemed to have not changed, nor was there a hint in his physical appearance of the new body he had taken. The Snake Sannin was still as pale as a corpse, black hair as greasy as ever. He silently regarded Sasuke and Naruto with sardonic amusement in his cold reptilian eyes. Slung in front of his chest was a small bundle, and Naruto felt his gut tighten when he realized it was Hikaru. That meant the one with Kabuto was Hisoka. He felt Sasuke tense.

"Sasuke-sama, Naruto-kun, it's been a while," Kabuto said in a mocking tone. "I hope you don't mind us borrowing your dear twins. They're very adorable, don't you think so?"

"Give them back, Kabuto," Naruto said in a flat voice.

Kabuto shifted his stance. "What a weak thing to say. I'm afraid we'll be borrowing them for quite a while." Without another word, they took off again, going in opposite directions.

Sasuke hesitated for a heartbeat to follow Kabuto, but a look from Naruto changed his mind. _Now it begins_, Naruto thought as he leapt to go after Orochimaru.

-------

Sasuke quickly caught up with Kabuto, finding him in a small clearing just several meters from the river, which was now rapidly growing under the torrential rain.

Kabuto danced away from his blow, jumping a few meters back. The silver-haired Sound nin gave Sasuke a condescending smile. "You've really gotten weaker, Sasuke-kun. Years ago, you would have already taken me down with a few blows. Could it be that this little girl of yours is making you weak?" He casually jiggled the baby. Hisoka's cries got louder.

"Let my daughter go," Sasuke said in a quiet voice, "and I'll show you how weak I've become." He didn't have problems following Kabuto's movements, but he was using Hisoka as sort of a shield, moving this way and that, making it hard for Sasuke to land damaging blows. Still, Kabuto had taken a beating, bruises and cuts all over his face and body.

Kabuto licked his lips, raising his hands for the seals of another jutsu. "You should have never betrayed Orochimaru-sama, Sasuke-kun. Now you and your children will pay the price for your treachery."

Sasuke only smirked and shifted his feet, dodging the sudden ball of muddy earth hurled at him. Quick as a snake, he struck, his hand grasping Kabuto's neck in a deadly grip. He pinned him on a tree as the dots of the Sharingan eyes morphed into the claws of the Mangekyou Sharingan. Looking deep into Kabuto's eyes, Sasuke smiled at the hint of fear in them. "Now it ends. Tsukiyomi."

Kabuto's scream reverberated throughout the forest, rising above the thunderous rain.

--------

"Well, Naruto-kun, this is a surprise. I expected Sasuke-kun to chase after me," Orochimaru said as he landed on one thick tree branch. On his chest, Hikaru struggled, crying out. "My, how time passes. It seems like yesterday that you were only children, yet now you have your own."

"Fuck you, Orochimaru," Naruto rasped as he summoned hundreds of his clones. "You'll never have our son." He leapt from the branch, throwing himself and his clones at Orochimaru.

"Why not?" Orochimaru asked as he licked his lips. "You took Sasuke-kun from me." His hands flashed, and a heartbeat later, snakes rushed at him, fangs gleaming in the rain.

Naruto dodged them, letting his clones take most of the snakes. He landed a few feet from Orochimaru, and then swung around to deliver a blow. Orochimaru easily evaded it, ducking slightly. A bunch of Narutos jumped on him, coming on him wave after wave, some managing to land a few paltry blows on Orochimaru's body before they disappeared or were thrown off as Orochimaru spun to shake them off, hands flickering almost negligently as he took them out. "Is this what all you can do, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru taunted as the clones disappeared into smoke. "Jiraiya should have taught you better."

Then as the smoke from disappearing clones melted into the rain, a yellow flash appeared in front of Orochimaru, a spiraling blue glow beside it.

Naruto delivered the Rasengan with deadly accuracy, burying it into Orochimaru's arm. Orochimaru's shriek of pain as the tight, spiraling ball of chakra rendered his flesh into shreds echoed throughout the forest, piercing through the sound of falling rain. Seizing his advantage, Naruto let go of the jutsu and grabbed his son before Orochimaru could lash out. Clutching Hikaru close to his chest, Naruto flashed several feet away from Orochimaru to a nearby tree branch. A smug smile crossed his lips as he watched the Snake Sannin stagger to stand up. The Rasengan had left a gaping wound in its wake. A trickle of blood slid from a corner of Orochimaru's mouth. "I won, you snake bastard. It ends here."

To Naruto's surprise, Orochimaru smiled, and said, "Not yet." With a flurry of seals and a puff of smoke, he was gone, and was suddenly replaced by an empty-handed, battered Kabuto, who then disappeared into the gray void.

--------

Sasuke smiled grimly as Kabuto slumped into the ground, face frozen in an expression of horror. Letting go of the silver-haired sound nin's neck, Sasuke stepped back. His hands flexed as he contemplated on using the Chidori on him, but Hisoka's cries reminded him that he came here to take his daughter first. Thankfully, his daughter didn't seem to be worse for wear from the fight, and was already screaming and squirming in her confinement.

Then, Sasuke froze as Kabuto disappeared with his daughter, then, half a heartbeat later, a wounded Orochimaru stood before him, his daughter in his arms.

Sasuke's knees buckled and he fell on his knees on the soft, muddy ground as the curse seal on his neck flared into life once again, devouring him, inflicting excruciating and immobilizing pain. The Mangekyou Sharingan dulled back into ordinary Sharingan. Orochimaru watched him, his reptilian eyes cold, yet bright with malice. The wound on his arm began to heal, sizzling as it closed itself, flesh knitting and reforming.

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru said his voice a mere thread of sound against the steady hiss of the rain and the roar of the burgeoning river beside them. The river had rapidly grown as the rain poured on.

Through blurry eyes Sasuke saw Orochimaru kneel in front of him, icy fingers brushing against his damp locks. Sasuke tried to move, to grab his daughter from Orochimaru's arm, but the curse seal's fiery grip tightened, and he almost convulsed in pain. "It's been a long time."

Then Orochimaru rose, towering over Sasuke's crouched form. He smiled at him. "Naruto has your son. Raise him well, Sasuke-kun, for I will have him soon." He looked at the child he held in his arms and his smile widened. "Your daughter has no use to me without her brother. She is only a shadow to her brother's reflection. As the Kyuubi brat has your son, it is only fair that I do this."

With a smirk, Orochimaru threw Hisoka into the river.

------

In the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw the cloth-wrapped bundle that was his daughter arch high into the air, above the river, and then disappear beyond the cliff.

"_NO!_" Struggling against his bonds of pain, Sasuke leapt to catch his daughter, but Orochimaru caught him with a sudden, vicious blow in the stomach that sent him sprawling into the cold, wet ground.

He tried to rise, but suddenly Orochimaru was on top of him, pinning him down. The cursed seal smoldered at the touch of its creator. Orochimaru's hot, foul breath brushed against Sasuke's damp skin as he said, "Now we are, as they say, _quits_, my dear Sasuke-kun." Then, with a flash of hands, Orochimaru was gone, leaving only the smell of death and the sound of the falling rain.

-------

Meters away, Hikaru suddenly burst into wailing, startling Naruto, who had been holding him. Naruto glanced at his son's face, scrunched up as he continued to cry.

Naruto felt himself grow cold. He felt a sudden, painful wrench and with dreadful certainty, he knew something had gone wrong.

------

Inuzuka Kiba stopped abruptly, startling his companions. Lee nearly barreled into a tree, while Neji smoothly landed into one wet tree branch. "Why did you stop, Kiba-kun?" Lee asked. "Is something amiss?"

Kiba laid his palm on the tree trunk, surveyed the forest before him, and sniffed the air. Akamaru gave a soft, mournful while, his floppy ears drooping. The others watched them curiously.

"Can't you smell it?" he finally said, glancing at his companions, a frown on his face.

"Smell what?" Neji asked. He looked around as well. Even with the Byakugan, he had a hard time seeing in the thick rain.

Kiba just continued to look at them. Akamaru let out a small howl. "Grief. The forest reeks of it." He slammed his fist into the tree, sending chips of it flying into the cold air. "We're too late."

-------

Naruto found Sasuke leaning over the cliff, looking at the swollen river, clutching his stomach with one hand while bracing himself on the ground with the other one, fingers digging into the cold, soft mud, knuckles white. His long, wet locks hung limply, shielding his face from view, while some strands stuck on his pale face. He did not move as Naruto and Hikaru approached, despite Hikaru's wails, nor did he seem to notice them, until they were only a few feet apart.

The icy fingers of fear gripped Naruto's heart when Sasuke turned to them sharply, his eyes still drowned in the crimson Sharingan. Their eyes met and Naruto saw the boy that Sasuke was years and years ago, on the night his brother Itachi killed his family.

Naruto dropped down to his knees, splashing mud and water on them. Slowly, he touched Sasuke's face, absently brushing away the dirt that was beginning to dry. Sasuke's expression didn't change, and he seemed to flinch away from his touch, but then his fingers wrapped Naruto's hand, while he placed his other on Hikaru, quieting his cries. No words were said, for they were not needed.

Around them, the rain has stopped, and slowly, the fiery fingers of dawn were spreading, touching the dark sky and the forest with fire, and for a moment, everything was still and silent.

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note: **Don't kill us, please! All things will be explained soon enough!

**Chibi-onna1, Thirteenth-Spider, Mooguri Klaine, and Luna Catgirl:** That's right! Kill twisted-sheets! She's the one who came up with this!

**Chibi-onna1:** Yeah! Kill! She gave me this chapter for editing right when I had a huge fucking pile of papers and reports! (Chibi turns to twisted-sheets.) You should've given it to me sooner!

**Twisted-sheets:** Eh:looks at the horde of angry readers: Eyaaaaah!

The longest author's note so far, I think!

I'm sorry if I'm not descriptive enough for the fight. It wasn't the focus of the chapter; rather, it was the feelings of those involved. Do please tell us what you think. And the jutsu Naruto used is the same one the Fourth used in the Kakashi Gaiden thing. The "Yellow Flash of Konoha" has been reborn! That's the Body Flicker Technique!

And if you're going to point out why Naruto hasn't used it before to get to the twins quickly, that's because he needs a seal for it, and he didn't put any on the twins…oops.

If you're wondering why Orochimaru threw Hisoka into the river, well, that's for the next chapter and in a way, Orochimaru has no use for her. He kills those he doesn't find useful, or is a threat to him. XD And most of all, it was for revenge. Sasuke ruined Orochimaru's ambitions when he left, and in exchange, he took his daughter and threw her into the river as Sasuke watched, helpless.

Someone remarked that Sasuke and Naruto weren't being careful enough…well, they paid the price, didn't they? Unfortunately, it's not really in their personalities to run and hide. They might be concerned and cautious, but they won't outright hide. They're a little too bold and daring for their own good.

**The title of the chapter: **Ahhhhhh…I got it from the opening theme of Rockman.exe Axess. What does it mean? Make a guess!

**Happy endings:** Uh, I love SasuNaru. I love happy endings. Unfortunately, life is not a bed of roses, not when you're Sasuke and Naruto. I'm not saying they'll have a bad life; it's just that things will not be very easy for them. And on a side note, I do hope Hikaru doesn't catch cold from all that rain.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know you hate Orochimaru and Kabuto now…and me, probably.

**The cursed seal: **As you recall, Anko was almost incapacitated when Orochimaru had the curse seal reactivated in her. It could be the same for Sasuke. Well, the theory I had going here was that Orochimaru could use the seal to pretty much incapacitate the person who has it if he chooses to. I may be wrong, so if anyone has ideas, tell me. I'll be happy to edit. :gulp:

**The fight:** Well, they couldn't really fight well because Orochimaru and Kabuto held the babies. And there were Sound nins stopping them as well. Kage Bunshin was very handy, don't you think? And I think I ran out of jutsus for them to do…

**Kiba:** And I made Kiba a little cool here, I think. I like Kiba…really!

**On the pregnancy and reality:** I probably have to apologize for the legion of pregnant (past, present, and future) women out there on the whole pregnancy symptoms bit. Yes, it is an exaggeration in most parts; my mother never went through those things, but if I wrote it like that, where's the fun? Unfortunately, sometimes exaggeration is inevitable, and this is fiction so we are allowed to embellish because unlike real life, which can be prosaic at times, fiction needs a bit more spicing up. And unlike real life, fiction has to make sense. My Fiction 110 (Writing Short Stories) teacher will probably clobber me when she reads this.

**Next chapter:** Life must go on, but nobody said it would be easy. Sasuke and Naruto deal with their loss. VERY light lime for FFnet, lemon for Aff.


	11. Chapter XI: Walking Barefoot

**Disclaimer:** The day Naruto belongs to me is the day the world will come to an end.

**Author's note:** Whoa! What a response. Glad I'm still alive and well. Hmm…I wonder if anyone got the clue I dropped in that chapter. The title itself was a clue (and so was the song it was based on).

Most of the stuff here is the POV of other characters. I'm reserving the last parts of this chapter for Sasuke and Naruto's POV.

**Lemon** is postponed next chapter. I decide to split this chapter into two; it was too long and sad to be just one chapter. Sorry for the long delay!

To everyone who is wondering what the hell happened to Hisoka, read on, I suppose.

And yes, **twisted-sheets, Naruto-kun** (we're both October 10!) **and chibi-onna1 **(October 14) celebrated their birthdays not long ago!

In this chapter, everyone has to move on, but nobody said it was easy. In fact, it was downright impossible. Most of it will be in the POV of other characters, with Sasuke and Naruto's POV at the end.

And please read **Chibi-onna1's** fanfics (specifically **_Filling the Void_**)! She's really good.

**Chibi-onna1:** _Chibi blushes and hides._ You flatter me…

**Warnings: Yaoi. Light Violence.** Run away if scared.

**Pairings: NaruSasu. KakaIru.** ShikaIno, NejiHina, SakuLee…and a whole lot more!

For **bookworm51485**, because she's very perceptive. XD

**Chapter XI: Walking Barefoot on Broken Glass, Part I **

"There will be no funeral."

Sakura looked helplessly at Sasuke. The Uchiha leaned against the door of the bedroom, regarding Sakura with distaste. His voice was cool and calm, as brittle and as smooth as glass. "But Sasuke-kun–" she began.

Sasuke's cold expression didn't change. "There will be no funeral, Sakura. So long as there is no body, there will be no funeral, no headstone, nor will there be a memorial. Do you _understand_?"

Sakura felt a thread of fear at the unspoken threat in Sasuke's voice. The Uchiha kept his gaze on her, eyes narrowed into tiny jet black slits. She pressed closer to Lee and turned her gaze to Naruto, eyes filled with mute appeal.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke. Something seemed to pass between the two for a moment, then Naruto looked back at Sakura. His dull blue eyes never wavered as he said quietly, "There will be no funeral, Sakura-chan." In his arms, Hikaru made a whimpering noise and fussed about. Naruto gently rocked him to and fro to calm him down.

Sakura bit her lip and squeezed Lee's hand. Lee squeezed back, his eyes sad and lost.

They were in a room in the Hokage tower where Naruto, Sasuke, and Hikaru were temporary ensconced, as their apartment was neither the safest nor the most habitable place right now.

Sakura averted her gaze from the three and found her thoughts drifting back to the moment she saw them, just four days ago, when they came back from the chase. Her breathing had quickened when she saw them approach, wet, muddy, and pale. Then her heart broke when she saw the single bundle, stained with mud, instead of the two she had hoped to see. She looked at Naruto, who only gazed back at her with such sadness she had to turn away.

They searched for Hisoka. The river was still swollen, but they went on, scouring the riverbanks, hoping and praying, but they could find nothing. When the river had subsided, they looked, but again, found nothing.

"She's dead; the river probably swallowed her up," an ANBU who had been ordered to help in the search said unthinkingly after they finished searching yesterday.

There was no sound. In a blink of an eye, the said ANBU went flying and hit several trees, breaking them in half. Sasuke stood panting not far from the ANBU, with Kakashi holding Sasuke's right hand, which was cackling with the beginnings of a Chidori. Meanwhile, Naruto was just a few inches from the ANBU, fists almost connecting with the ANBU's stomach if not for Jiraiya holding his wrist in an iron grip.

_Even until now, they cannot accept Hisoka's death. Will they ever?_ Sakura thought of her son, and she shuddered at the chill that passed through her body at the image of her Ryuuichi dead.

Sakura gave herself a mental shake. She'd come here to give comfort to her friends; she thought the funeral would help them give closure, to help them move on, so things would start being okay…how could she help them if they weren't cooperating?

Many of their friends had already visited the two to offer comfort and support, asking them if they were okay. While always polite, Naruto and Sasuke's dispositions when receiving them were less than friendly. Though Sasuke and Naruto were not outright hostile, the others all felt awkward around the two. Even Hinata remarked at how…chilly the two have been when she and Neji visited.

"Sakura-chan," Lee said, breaking into Sakura's reverie. "I think we should go now. Ryu-chan's waiting for us at home."

"But Lee–" Sakura's protests were cut off as Lee tightened his grip on her hand and gave her an uncharacteristic sharp look. She cast a glance at Naruto and Sasuke, both of them so still and quiet. The room had grown colder since she'd come in, and suddenly Sakura felt afraid again, though she didn't know why. _Is this what Hinata-chan and Ino-pig felt when they visited them?_ She rubbed her hands together, which were already numb with cold.

She touched Naruto's hand, almost flinching at how icy his skin was. "We'll be going now, Naruto." Then she hugged him and Hikaru, unshed tears in her eyes. "Don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

Sakura was startled to feel Naruto suddenly stiffen in her arms, and then she felt his shoulders droop. "Good-bye, Sakura-chan," he said flatly. "Thank you."

She stared at Naruto, who smiled wearily at her, though his eyes showed something else. A sliver of fear touched her heart at the sudden flare of fire in his eyes. "Naruto–"

"You can go, Sakura. Your son will be waiting," Sasuke said.

Defeated, Sakura nodded. Turning to Lee, they started for the door. But before she left, Sakura looked back. Sasuke still stood by the doorway, eyes boring into her. Sakura noted that not once during their conversation did he look at Hikaru. Shivering, she stepped out of the house, and quietly closed the door behind her.

--------

They would always be children in his eyes.

People always asked him why he chose to remain a Chuunin. While he was no genius like Kakashi, Iruka was a skilled nin in his own right, as swift and able as his namesake. He would have advanced as a Jounin if he willed it.

But teaching had been his passion, his calling for a long time now. Iruka was a child of war and death, and as a Genin and a Chuunin, he'd seen people young and old die.

Watching the young ones die was the hardest for Iruka. They were so _young_, so optimistic, all dreaming of the glory they felt they would surely get as ninjas, not knowing that at every corner, at every mission, Death awaited them, watching, waiting until the chance came up and Death would then reach out with his cold, ruthless hands and choke the life away from them, leaving only broken dreams and lives.

So when his teammates (oh, how young they were those days!) were killed during a skirmish with Mist shinobi, he vowed that he'd never let a child go unprepared. He would teach them, guide them, and protect them to the best of his abilities.

_And now I failed that vow with the one I cared the most for,_ Iruka thought as he cast a sideway glance at Naruto, who sat beside him, his bowl of ramen untouched. The blonde's shoulders were slumped, his arms hanging limply by his side, hands closed into tight fists. Naruto had not spoken a word since Iruka arrived at the room and asked Naruto to share some ramen he had brought.

Things had been like this since Orochimaru threw Hisoka into the river. Every time Iruka visited, he would always be greeted with the numb, deafening silence of grief.

Today, Naruto had managed a tired smile when Iruka entered after passing through the ANBU guard. "Iruka-sensei. Thanks for coming by again." Behind him, Shizune gave Iruka a small smile, a warning and a plea in her eyes. In her arms was Hikaru, quietly sleeping.

He'd never seen anyone so drowned in grief as Naruto. His blue eyes were sunken and shadowed by deep eye bags, his face thin and gaunt. His spiky blond hair was mussed and uncombed, just as his jaw was unshaven, with little stubbles of hair peeking out.

And somewhere, he knew Sasuke was grieving as well. Kakashi would be watching him, making sure the Uchiha didn't do anything stupid, like go out on his own and hunt down Orochimaru.

_My students. My broken children. _

His heart went out for Naruto. Naruto had no family, and just when he had one, it was ripped away from him in the cruelest way imaginable. If Iruka had but the power, he would kill Orochimaru very, very slowly, savoring every agonizing detail of the Snake Sannin's death.

But now, he had to put his desire for revenge aside. But he was sure revenge was never far from Naruto and Sasuke's thoughts.

"Do you want to talk, Naruto? I know it doesn't do much, but it does help. You know I'm always here to listen."

Naruto didn't reply, and kept staring at his ramen. Iruka felt his hopes plummeting down. Naruto was getting more and more depressed each day and there was nothing he could do.

"Talk," Naruto suddenly said, startling Iruka. Iruka then found himself staring back at a pair of dark blue eyes, bright and feverish. "Do you know, Iruka-sensei, that that's all they do? Talk. Talk. _Talk_. They tell us they're so sorry, that they understand. They tell us things will be fine, that things will be okay. _Okay_," Naruto spoke the last word with bitterness.

"How can we be okay, Iruka-sensei? How can anything be ever okay? Why does everyone insist we'll be okay? Our daughter's gone. Nothing will ever be okay." Naruto squeezed his eyes shut, his fists tightening.

Iruka stared at Naruto, wanting to put his arms around the boy and tell him everything would be okay, but he knew Naruto would not want that. "Naruto, I can probably never understand what you're going through. Things might not be getting better, but you can't let it get worse, nor can you just stay still. You'll have to move on, or everything will be lost."

"I know, Iruka-sensei." Naruto sounded so weary. "But it's so _hard_. Everyday, I think of what happened, of what we could have done to prevent it. I dream of her crying out for me, but I'm too far to help her. And Sasuke…Sasuke's so distant nowadays. He wouldn't even look or touch Hikaru. And when he does, there's this look on his face I can't figure out."

"What?" He'd guessed Sasuke would suffer more, not only because he saw Hisoka thrown into the river, but also because Iruka knew Sasuke favored his daughter more than he liked his son. Daddy's girl, he'd teased them once when he saw Sasuke carrying Hisoka in his arms, a small smile on his face. Sasuke had always been a little…wary with his son. The thought of Sasuke being increasingly distant from Hikaru did not bode well for the future, and made Iruka feel strangely disquieted. "Have you and Sasuke talked about this?"

Naruto snorted, sounding for once like his old self again. "How can we talk about it when he's barely here throughout the day? He's off training somewhere. If it weren't for Hikaru, I'd look for him and drag his ass back here, but I can't."

"I see." Iruka made a mental note to talk to Kakashi about Sasuke's behavior.

"I should probably tell you, Iruka-sensei, that we'd be moving out of the tower soon," Naruto said abruptly.

"Where would you be living?" Iruka felt it would be better that the two stayed in the tower. It was well-guarded and safe. The Godaime Hokage would see to that.

"The Uchiha compound. Sasuke's old house." Naruto frowned. "Sasuke wanted us to move there when the twins were born, but I said no, because the place creeps me out. But now," he sighed, "we can't always stay here, you know." He looked up at Iruka, already anticipating his next question. "The old hag has too many things to do, and we can't be a burden to her. I don't like it there, too many ghosts, it isn't good for Sasuke or Hikaru, but I can't think of any other place we could stay that's safe."

_But what about Itachi?_ Iruka wanted to ask, but decided not to. "Has the Hokage agreed to this?"

Naruto smirked. "Nope. She threw a fit when Sasuke and I told her. She even called us fools. Sasuke argued with her. You should have been there. The old hag wanted to throttle him so badly, but Ero-sennin and Shizune-neechan managed to keep her from doing so. In the end, she relented, but she got us to agree that Hikaru would be left with her and Shizune when we took missions. And that ANBU guards be posted in the compound."

"That was a wise decision of the Hokage," Iruka said. "Hikaru needs to be guarded."

"The ANBU guards didn't do much when Kabuto came," another voice, smooth and dark, said from behind them. Iruka suppressed the instinct the jump from his seat.

"I was wondering how long you'd stand there not talking," Naruto said casually, looking behind his shoulder. Sasuke stood beside the door, hair and clothes damp with sweat. Sasuke's face didn't change expression as his gaze fell on Iruka. The Uchiha gave him a curt nod, and then turned to Naruto. "I'm going for a shower." Without waiting for a reply, he strode across the room, barely sparing a glance at Shizune or Hikaru.

Naruto's eyes hardened as he watched Sasuke ignore their son. "You know, Iruka-sensei. I've been thinking of beating the crap out of Sasuke for being a fucking bastard, and I think it's time. " He rose from his chair, its legs scraping against the floor. "Shizune-neechan, would you–"

Shizune was ahead of him. "We'll take care of Hikaru-chan."

Naruto smiled slightly. "Arigato, Neechan. I'm sorry about being a burden."

Shizune smiled back. "It's all right, Naruto. We don't mind. I only wish we could do more."

Naruto then turned to Iruka. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei. For everything." He cracked his knuckles. "But now I think I need to talk to Sasuke-bastard about this now."

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note, part 2:** This got to be the most emotionally intense chapter I've ever written (and difficult, because I didn't want to be melodramatic or anything. Bleh, I've failed miserably at that). It's one rollercoaster ride, if I might say so. Please give some comments and criticisms about the fic so we can make it better. Are they OOC? Do tell!

Oh, be reminded that Sasuke and Naruto are just, what, 16, by this time. Mature in many ways, but they are still…young. So they still have those little quirks in teens.

And if the whole thing felt a little weird, things will be explained next chapter, promise!

**Naruto and coping:** He's coping rather well, thanks to Iruka. Thing is, Iruka listens to him, which I think is far more important than offering platitudes like "It's going to be okay." I'm rather annoyed when people say that to people who are grieving, because it's not always what grieving people like to hear. In a way, you're dismissing what had happened as something minor and easily overcome, as well as dismissing the person's feelings.

**Iruka:** I love him. If I could marry the guy, I will. (**Chibi-onna1:** Dude, you can't do that… Kakashi's gonna be pissed…)I've been neglecting him, but thankfully he's back. The thing about how he decided to be a Chuunin, well, that's just an invention. Ehe.

**Security Arrangements:** Let's just say Hikaru's going to be the most guarded person in Konoha for a very long time. I pity the poor guy. Naruto and Sasuke may be going to missions again, but that doesn't mean Hikaru's unguarded. Right now, he's with Tsunade (and by extension Jiraiya and Shizune) most of the time, and everyone, even Orochimaru, I think, would think twice before doing anything to Hikaru with her on guard.

**Next Chapter:** Naruto knocks some sense into Sasuke. As promised, the lemon. And yes, finally, the bit about the scroll will be explained.


	12. Chapter XI: Walking Barefoot, prt 2

**Disclaimer:** The day Naruto belongs to me is the day the world will come to an end.

**Author's note:** Yes, your eyes do not deceive you. I AM STILL ALIVE! Sorry, sorry! Here is the next chapter. I didn't put the lemon. I decided it wouldn't do well for the mood of this chapter.

And please read **Chibi-onna1's** fanfics (specifically **_Filling the Void_** _and **Queer Eye…**_)! She's really good.

**Warnings: Yaoi. Light Violence.** Run away if scared.

**Pairings: NaruSasu. KakaIru.** ShikaIno, NejiHina, SakuLee…and a whole lot more!

**Chapter XI: Walking Barefoot on Broken Glass, Part II **

The Godaime Hokage was angry.

"I thought you'd have calmed down by now, Tsunade," Jiraiya said as he entered the Hokage's office. He glanced at the overturned furniture, the broken pottery, and the scattered papers. He took a deep breath, inhaling the dry, choking scent of burnt wood. Tsunade's tantrums could be destructive sometimes. "But I guess you're not."

"They're idiots," Tsunade said in a flat, unfriendly tone. She sat behind her table, feet dangling over one of the armrests of her chair, one of the few furniture in the room undamaged.

"It's their decision, Tsunade." Jiraiya picked up an upturned chair, positioned it upright, and sat on it. "And as much as we both hate it, the Uchiha does have a point. They are not your only concern. You have the whole village to take of."

Tsunade grimaced. That was certainly true. Amidst all the confusion, two high-ranking nins had defected from their village, thus making themselves missing-nins. Tsunade has just only found out, and sent a team to retrieve them, preferably dead. Looking at her, Jiraiya could tell she was very much in the mood to mount heads on spikes right now.

"We're lucky they're not asking permission to go and kill Orochimaru." The toad sannin pulled out a bottle of sake from his belt, as well as two small bowls and wordlessly offered them to Tsunade.

Tsunade took one of the tiny bowls. "What makes you think they'll actually _ask_ my permission to kill Orochimaru?" she asked as Jiraiya poured sake for her. She downed it in one gulp.

"Sasuke might not, but Naruto probably would. Or maybe not." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "So, why did you ask me to come here? I'm sure you didn't invite me here for the pleasure of my company or my sake."

Tsunade slammed the sake cup on the table. "I want to ask a few questions about a certain scroll your student left to the Sandaime Hokage." She then drew out an old sealed scroll, its pages yellowed with age, edges already frayed and crumbling.

Ah. _That_ scroll. Jiraiya's eyes widened; it has been a long time since he'd seen it. "What about it?"

"What want I to know is what exactly is in it, and who are the people who have seen it."

"There's nothing in it, Tsunade-hime. At least, nothing I could see."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "What? What do you mean?"

The Toad Sannin closed his eyes, remembering. "He showed me what was inside that scroll once, a week before he died. It was blank. I told him this and he just smiled at me. From what I've gathered, whatever's in that scroll, it's not meant for everyone's eyes, only for selected people."

Tsunade looked disappointed, then frowned in thought. "I see. Did he tell you what's inside?"

"Not much. Why the sudden interest in it? Is it because of what happened recently?"

"Yes." Tsunade picked up a scrap of parchment from her table. "It seems your student gave instructions to the Sandaime about that scroll, and told him something about it." She squinted her eyes as she read the notes. They were written in what could only be described as 'chicken scratch' scrawl, thus making it hard to read. "What he says here is that this scroll should be given to his heir once their bloodline has been renewed, or we're to give it when he reaches his twentieth year."

Jiraiya scratched his head. "His heir already has children, well, child now." The thought made him sad and angry at the same time. They were two, and now only one was left. Jiraiya remembered the girl most, the way she giggled as she tugged his hair. Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, who glanced away. "You think they'll never find the girl, don't you? You think she's dead."

Tsunade didn't reply immediately, and then with a sigh, she finally said, "Yes. It's been weeks since…then. I doubt we'd find the girl alive." She waved her hand. "Don't get me wrong. I want the girl to be alive, but with each passing day, the chance of her being found alive grows smaller and smaller. It's a miracle if she would be found at all–dead or alive. You should know that."

Jiraiya had been a part of the search for Hisoka since the start. They'd scoured the riverbanks, asked the neighboring villages, leaving no stone unturned, but have turned up nothing. It was as if the river had swallowed Hisoka up and like a greedy monster, refused to spit her out. Everyday, he could feel the growing frustration and fear in Naruto, even Sasuke, making it harder and harder for Jiraiya to tell them that Hisoka was lost to them. "Have you told them that?"

"Not yet. Perhaps I should. Tomorrow, maybe. It would be cruel to raise their hopes up, only to be let down in the end." Tsunade shook her head. "I don't think it would make any difference, though, when I tell them."

She looked at Jiraiya then, her sad, tired eyes belying the youth of her face. "Why did it have to happen to them? They were so _happy_. Orochimaru…I would never forgive him for this. Never."

"Neither will I, and I think they would never forgive, too. I just hope they're old and wise enough to prioritize their remaining child than revenge."

"I hope so, too. But they are still grieving, Jiraiya, and grief can be overwhelming, even to the strongest of hearts. It could break them, as it did to me."

They were silent for a moment, and then Tsunade cleared her throat. Jiraiya didn't miss the hoarseness in her voice and the brightness in her eyes when she spoke again. "Anyway, as I was saying, his heir wasn't given this when he was with child, but," Tsunade paused, drumming her fingers on the table, "I believe it's possible he has seen this scroll."

"And why do you think so, Tsunade-hime?"

"I found the scroll lying on the floor a few days ago, when I was searching for something else. It bore no signs of being tampered or opened. I didn't think much about it; I thought it had just fallen from the shelf. But when I picked it up to put it back in its place, I felt…something." Exasperated, Tsunade let out a sigh. "I can't explain what it was, but I sensed something had changed in that scroll, which was strange, because I have never touched it before."

"And you researched about it, and found that it was the scroll my student left for his son. So what has the scroll have to about what happened with Naruto and his family?"

"Naruto worked in that place when he was pregnant with the twins. Given Naruto's nature, he could have opened that scroll out of curiosity."

"That's _more_ than possible, but you said the scroll wasn't tampered with." Jiraiya felt a headache coming, and it wasn't because of the sake.

"It doesn't _look_ tampered with. The seal isn't broken. I suppose I should ask Naruto about it." Tsunade looked at the parchment again. "It also says here that the scroll contains information about the reflection and the shadow."

"Reflection and shadow? What's that?" It seemed like his headache was about to become a full-blown migraine.

"I don't know. I was hoping you knew something about it. You're useless, Jiraiya." She ignored the Toad sannin's outraged gasp. "What disturbs me is what Sasuke said when I asked him about what happened when Orochimaru came face to face with him." Tsunade gripped the parchment in her hand. "Before Orochimaru threw Hisoka into the river, he said to Sasuke, 'Your daughter has no use to me without her brother. _She is only a shadow to her brother's reflection_.'"

Jiraiya went cold all over as he finally pieced things together. "Then…"

"Then Orochimaru knows something about what's inside the scroll. How he found and how much he knows, I can only guess, but the point is, he knows." Tsunade shook her head. "It can't be just a coincidence that he told Sasuke about the reflection and the shadow. And I don't think it's also a coincidence that he took _both_ of the twins."

"So the question now, is, what are we going to do?"

Tsunade slumped in her seat. "I don't know." She eyed the scroll on the table warily. "I suppose we have no choice now but to give this scroll to him when he turns twenty, seeing as we missed the last opportunity to do so."

"Don't you think that after what happened, we should give it to him now?"

"That's exactly why we should wait. If they read this now, in their current state, I don't know what they'll do."

Jiraiya nodded, but then he frowned. "I don't see the difference. Naruto's going to kill when he reads this, anyway, regardless of when we give him the scroll."

Before Tsunade could reply, there was discreet knock on the door. "Tsunade-sama, it's me, Shizune."

"Enter." Tsunade raised her brows when she saw Iruka just behind Shizune and the squirming bundle in her arms. "Why is Hikaru with you?"

"Sasuke and Naruto are having a little…discussion," Iruka said. "We decided it was best that we get out of the way."

"About damn time." Tsunade muttered. "They better not destroy my tower with their discussion, though, or I'll have both their heads." She tossed the scroll to Jiraiya, who caught it with a startled yelp. "You keep that until the time comes." Sighing, she looked at Hikaru, who was wiggling in Shizune's arms. "Looks like I won't have much sleep tonight."

------

"_Sasuke-kun."_

Hot. The water was hot, almost scalding as it hit him in tiny, hard bursts, like red-hot needles piercing through his skin. Sasuke stood under the shower, still and unmoving, one hand pressed against the tiles, the other gripping the shower knob.

"_Your daughter has no use to me without her brother. She is only a shadow to her brother's reflection. As the Kyuubi brat has your son, it is only fair that I do this."_

Fingers stiffened into claws, nails scraping against the tiles. "_NO!"_

"_Now we are, as they say, quits, my dear Sasuke-kun."_

Swirls of steam curled around Sasuke, but the heat he felt had nothing to do with the water. Claws turned into tight fists, and in a heartbeat, he slammed one against the tiles.

The tiles shattered on impact, scattering bits of porcelain shards into the air. One caught Sasuke by the cheek, slicing through the flesh. A streak of blood appeared, but the hot water quickly washed it away, leaving only a stinging pain in its wake. He could feel his fist throb from the abuse it had taken, but he didn't care.

Outside, he could hear footsteps, hard and heavy beats against the floor. _Naruto_. So the time had come for their confrontation, the one Sasuke knew was long overdue. He had expected it earlier, but he had once again underestimated Naruto's capability for tolerance and patience.

Not that they had much opportunity in the first place. Sasuke spent almost all his time training and looking for Hisoka, coming back to the tower only to eat, change, or sleep. He hadn't done much of that in the past few days, too. Kakashi had remarked that he was getting thinner, and that he was paler than a corpse.

With a quick twist, he shut off the shower. Stepping out of the stall, he grabbed one of the towels and began vigorously rubbing himself dry. He quickly dressed himself and went to the living room, where he found Naruto leaning against a post, his eyes closed. They snapped open as soon as Sasuke was a few feet away. "Sasuke," he began, "we need to talk."

"What do you want?" he said in deadpan voice.

"I think we should postpone joining the search for tomorrow and the ones for the rest of the week. Let the others do it for now."

Sasuke snorted. "You can't be serious, Naruto. I'm not about to leave to those idiots the search for my daughter," he said, his voice filled with contempt. The ANBU had proven themselves utterly useless in protecting his children and looking for Hisoka. It would be stupidity to leave the search to them.

Naruto took another deep breath. "We need a break, Sasuke. It's been almost two weeks."

"A break?" He stared at Naruto in disbelief, and then frowned when he realized the blonde was serious. Rage surged within him. "So what are you suggesting? That we forget about Hisoka? That we give up looking for her? Is that what you want, Naruto?"

"That's not what I meant, Sasuke! I–"

"I won't do it! You don't understand," Sasuke spat out. "You would _never_ understand." He could feel his whole body shaking with fury. What was Naruto _thinking_?

Naruto recoiled at Sasuke's words, as if he'd been punched in the stomach. "Fuck you, Sasuke!" he snarled out. "Don't you fucking _dare_ say that! You're not the only one who's suffering here! Hisoka was my daughter, too. I carried her in me for nine months! I felt her kick within me. I gave birth to her" Naruto jabbed his trembling finger on Sasuke's chest, tears in his eyes. "I love her, damn you, no less than you love her."

"Then why do you want to postpone the search?" Grabbing Naruto by his collar, he hauled him closer, until they were a few inches apart. Sasuke looked at Naruto straight in the eye. "Do you think she's dead?"

_Dead._ The word hung between them, a sharp knife poised to cut and make them bleed at the slightest touch. Sasuke knew it was the first time any one of them gave voice the word they'd so feared since Hisoka's fall into the river.

"No," Naruto replied in a quiet voice. He shook his head. "I don't know, Sasuke." He put a hand over his heart. "I can't feel her anymore, but that doesn't mean she's really dead. I can't accept that she's gone–I don't _want_ to accept that she's dead."

"She's not dead." Sasuke abruptly let go of Naruto's collar, causing the blonde to stumble back. "If she's dead–Naruto, if she is dead–" Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists, "it would be _my_ fault she died," he said_. My fault. My sin._ "I didn't reach her in time. I–"

Naruto's fist hit Sasuke squarely on the jaw, cutting off the Uchiha's words. Sasuke took a few steps back. "Don't _say _that! If Hisoka were dead, it wouldn't be your fault. _Orochimaru_ would be the one who killed her. You weren't the one who threw her into the river."

"You don't understand! I let her die!" The air around them whistled as Sasuke slammed his sore fist into Naruto's cheek. Naruto's head snapped back at the blow, and it threw him almost halfway across the room, landing on the floor with a loud thump.

Sasuke could hear their ragged breathing, loud and strong inside the room, punctuated by the heavy beats of their hearts. He could feel himself trembling still, from fear, anger, or guilt he couldn't tell. "I couldn't do anything! I was _pathetic_, Naruto. I just lay in the mud and couldn't do anything when he threw her into the river!" _Don't you understand, Naruto? I saw her die in front of my eyes. And I couldn't do anything. It was like then. On that day…when my family was killed, I could do nothing. _

Naruto pushed himself up so he was crouching on the floor. Sasuke warily shifted his feet, preparing himself for an attack. Instead of attacking, Naruto spoke, his voice low and even. "Maybe I don't fully understand what you're going through. But I do know one thing."

"I want her _back_. I want her _alive_. I want her here, playing with Hikaru." Naruto looked at Sasuke. Grief had made Naruto thinner, and brought dark shadows beneath his eyes, but there was no mistaking the determination in the fierce light in his eyes. His lips were drawn into a tight, grim line. "I want her with _us_."

"Then _why_? Why do you want to postpone the search?"

"Because of Hikaru. Or have you forgotten we have another child?"

Sasuke stared at Naruto for a moment, confused. "What about Hikaru? He's fine. Hisoka needs us now and Hikaru–"

"Hikaru needs us too!" Naruto snapped back. "It's not fair–to Hikaru, to us, and to Hisoka! Do you think Hisoka will like how you're treating her twin? We've been neglecting him, and don't think I didn't notice how you've been deliberately ignoring him."

"I'm not ignoring Hikaru. I–"

Naruto plunged on, heedless of Sasuke's words. "You are. You've always been wary of Hikaru. I don't know why. Maybe it's because you've always loved Hisoka best."

_You're wrong, _Sasuke thought. He let out a long sigh, feeling all his anger slip away from him.

He cared for both of his children, even perhaps loved them. Sasuke honestly didn't know. It took him years to determine his feeling for Naruto; his children were another matter. He'd been loveless for so long he found it hard to know what love was, but he could not deny the fierce, protective feelings he had for his children, or the sudden burst of pride and joy whenever he thought of them. But as pleasant as these feelings were, they came with a fear Sasuke didn't know how to face.

Sometimes, he could not bear looking at his son. It was too painful, and always, Orochimaru's face would appear, mocking him. _I will have your children,_ Orochimaru's reptilian eyes would say. _I will have your son. And there will be nothing you can do to stop me._ Anger and guilt would fill him, choking his breath away. It was easier to avoid the boy than to face the bitter truth–that he might not be able to protect him when the time came.

Sasuke was sick of the grief that seemed to shadow him since the day he'd been born, his birthright and curse as one of the Uchiha blood, as a wielder of Mangekyou Sharingan. He'd been so sure Hisoka was safe from that curse. She'd been so like Naruto with her sunny smiles and exuberant ways, and most of all, female, with little chance of obtaining the Sharingan. With Hikaru, he'd been afraid, so afraid that his son would take up his burden.

Hikaru was one of his most compelling reasons why he wanted to be rid of Orochimaru and Itachi, why he decided to risk Naruto's fury in joining the hunter-nins to hunt them down. He didn't want his son to grow up with the shadow of curse he'd carried, didn't want him to commit the sins he made. The fact that Hikaru looked so much like him didn't help assuage his fears.

Naruto was wrong. Sasuke cared about Hikaru so much it scared him.

-------

Naruto glared back at Sasuke, oblivious to the other's thoughts. He could feel the rage and frustration pulsing in his body, making him tremble with their intensity. Why did Sasuke have to be such an obstinate bastard? Didn't he understand? He didn't want this anymore than he did. "I'm not giving up! I never gave up on you; what makes you think I'd give up on my daughter? But that doesn't mean we have to neglect Hikaru."

"I know," Sasuke replied quietly, surprising him at the sudden note of gentleness in his tone. Sasuke crouched beside him. "Naruto, I can't help it. I keep thinking about her. What if she's out there, helpless? I can't stand it." He clenched his fists. "I drives me mad, not knowing if she's dead or alive, unable to do anything about it."

"And you think being an asshole to your son is going to help things?" Naruto snarled back.

"Things between me and Hikaru will always be complicated," Sasuke said in the same quiet voice. "I can't promise you anything, but I'll try to be a better father to him. He deserves so much more, after we had failed him and Hisoka. Sometimes, I wish–"

"We can't go back, Sasuke," Naruto said, tears slipping down his cheeks, voice hoarse with grief. "I wish we would change a lot of things. I wish we'd listened to Jiraiya's warnings. I wish for lot of things, but we can't go on like this. What we have is now and the future, and we're wasting it arguing like this. It's stupid, even for you. Hisoka would be disgusted with us acting like this."

"She would be." Sasuke closed his eyes. "And this is pointless. We'll do it as you wish. I'll tell the Hokage that we won't be joining the search for the rest of the week. Hikaru needs his parents around him now more than ever."

Before he could stop himself, Naruto lunged at Sasuke, wrapping his arms around him in a tight embrace. Sasuke barely managed to catch him in his arms. "I'm so sorry," he sobbed out, all his pent-up feeling pouring out in a great flood of emotions. "I feel so guilty, wanting this, postponing the search. I want Hisoka, I want her with us, but Hikaru needs us too." _I had to choose. It's not fair. They're both mine. I loved them both._ "Do you think Hisoka would understand? Do you think we'll find her?"

Sasuke tightened his grip on Naruto. "Yes. We'll find her. We'll never give up hope."

_Because that's all we have right now,_ Naruto thought, stilling his sobs, _hope and faith, and our family and friends._ It wasn't a lot, but maybe it would be enough. It had to be enough.

_Don't give up on us, Hisoka. We're coming for you. _

-------

It only took Sasuke a few minutes to reach the cliff.

In the chase to retrieve the twins, the trip here seemed like an eternity. The place looked different now, not quite as muddy as before, and the river beside the cliff was no longer the raging monster that it was on that day.

He was alone, having left Naruto with Hikaru. Relations between him and Naruto have eased in the past week, though there were still tense moments, such as when he said he's still pursuing his plan of going hunter-nin. Naruto didn't object, but he didn't agree, either. They also haven't decided what to do with Orochimaru, but he wasn't their priority now–Hikaru and Hisoka were.

He has also been trying to spend more time with his son as well, but it was not easy. Hikaru was so much like him in many ways it disconcerted him. Hikaru has Naruto's eyes, though, and maybe, he had thought as he watched his son play with Naruto, part of his spirit as well. That thought gave him much comfort for the future–a future that might not include Hisoka.

The search had been going on for more than three weeks now, and there was still no sign of their daughter. It took all of their willpower not to give in to the despair that was slowly creeping into their hearts.

_Where are you? _Sasuke stared at the river for a long time, watching the slow, steady flow of its waters. His grip tightened on the sunflowers' stems, crushing the soft stalks. The flowers drooped slightly, as if bowing from the sun the flowers seem to adore so much.

Hisoka had loved sunflowers. Sasuke remembered the way his daughter smiled when she first saw the flowers in Ino's hand when she had come by to visit. She'd squealed and scampered towards the flowers as fast as her plump little legs could carry her, touching the flowers almost reverently before gleefully massacring them. Sasuke had been so amused by the whole thing he didn't mind the mess she'd made or the assorted yellow and green stains Hisoka had left on his shirt when she clung to him after she'd plucked and crushed the flowers.

"It's been a while," Sasuke murmured, cradling the sunflowers close to his chest to prevent them from touching the ground. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he said, "I promise, Hisoka, that–"

He stopped. _No, I will not promise. Promises mean nothing to the dead and the missing._ "I miss you," he finally managed to say. Sasuke paused, leaving a hundred words unsaid. _I dream of you all the time, nightmares more terrible than anything I've had, worse than the ones I had after the massacre. Even when I'm awake…the nightmares don't go away. _

The memory of her fall was a hot knife that cut and seared through his soul, leaving him breathless and shaking. Sasuke thought of all the sins and betrayals he had committed for one reason or another, and knew this was the price he paid for them.

They say the Sharingan brings forth madness to those who possessed it–in more ways than one. Sasuke thought he knew what insanity was the day he saw his brother hovering over his dead parents, his sword gleaming with their blood, but he was wrong.

"Everyone misses you. One day–" He took a deep breath. "Maybe one day, I could ask for your forgiveness. Alive or dead, if we meet again, I hope you can forgive me."

Then he abruptly threw the sunflowers into the river, watching them slowly fall, scattered by a brief gust before landing on the peaceful waters. His eyes followed the flowers as they rose and fell with the river's currents. When they were only specks of yellow and green, he turned to head back to the tower.

To his surprise, Naruto stood in his path just a few feet away from him, an unreadable expression in his eyes.

Sasuke paused for a moment, staring at Naruto, wondering how much he'd heard. Then he resumed walking. "Let's go. Hikaru's waiting," he said as he passed by Naruto.

"Yeah," Naruto said. And together they walked back to the Hokage tower to their son.

-------

"It's very dusty here, isn't it?"

Sasuke looked up from the box of Spic and Span he was opening and glared at Naruto. "Usuratonkachi. Of course. This room hasn't been used in many years. What would you have expected, that they're all neat and shiny?"

Naruto scowled at Sasuke, waving the mop in his hand threateningly. "No need to be nasty, you bastard. Or do you want me to shove this up your ass?" He glanced around again, noting the once-white sheets, now colored grayish-brown with dust and grime. It had been almost three years since anyone lived in this place, and it showed. He sniffed the air, almost choking at the dust and the dry, musty smell of mold and mildew. _And blood. Old blood, but still strong._

Naruto shivered. They were in the Uchiha compound, in Sasuke's old house, cleaning it for the move tomorrow after almost a month and a half of staying in the Hokage tower.

_And what a big house it was_, Naruto had thought to himself when he saw it, looming ahead of them. It was like what he imagined, big, tall, dark, with many twisting passages and corridors, and untended stone gardens, choked with weeds. Torn and dirty banners with the Uchiha fan emblazoned on them fluttered in the cold breeze, some twisting this way and that, as if trying to escape from the wind's icy grip. On the gate in front of Sasuke's house, a torn wooden umbrella lay on the ground, rolling back and forth until Sasuke grabbed it and staked it upright into the ground.

Naruto has never set foot in Sasuke's old home or the Uchiha compound. In the past years, the place remained unlooted, almost undamaged by man. Naruto didn't have to be genius to know why. The place was too creepy.

It still was. As they walked towards the house, Naruto could not help noticing how big and empty the Uchiha compound was. The vacant houses, stores, and streets, all still and quiet in their gray, crumbling poses. Hard to imagine that this had been once been home to the Uchiha clan, a bustling center of activity, home to many of Konoha's best nins. All gone now, because of one man: Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother.

Sasuke didn't speak to him the whole walk towards his house. The Uchiha was probably too lost in the memories of the past; too busy listening to the whispering of ghosts to pay attention to him. Ghosts that cry out for vengeance, weeping bitterly for the betrayal of their clan in the hands of one of their prodigies. But only Sasuke could hear them, roaring in his ears, in his blood, in the deep silences of his mind.

Small wonder Sasuke was so obsessed with his role as an avenger. Naruto could imagine Sasuke going home every day, back into this dark empty place, greeted only by a deathly stillness, when once relatives would call out to him, ask him how he was. How could he forget, when every day, he would see these houses, scarred and crumbling, silent witnesses to what happened?

Silences were by no means a stranger to Naruto. All his life he'd been subjected to them, hostile, malignant stillness that threatened to choke him every time he breathed. Under the circumstances, it was a miracle neither of them had gone mad. _Well, maybe just a little…with Sasuke just more than a little._

"We should start in the rooms upstairs." Sasuke was staring at him, an impassive look on his face.

Naruto grunted and swung the mop over his shoulder, all the while avoiding Sasuke's penetrating eyes. He followed the Uchiha up some stairs then down one hall that looked more used than the others. "Is this where your room was?" Naruto suddenly asked, curious.

"Yes." Sasuke gestured to a door, the first one from the right, shut tight with a padlock. "That," he began, voice dark and bitter, "was Itachi's room."

Naruto said nothing. Sasuke then opened the door just a few steps from Itachi's room. "This is my room," he said. "We could clean this first. We'll be using this for now."

Looking around, Naruto was surprised to find that Sasuke's room was only a little different from his (Sasuke's was cleaner and more organized, though). His eyes searched for personal mementoes or photos in the room, but found nothing. The room was almost bare, utilitarian at most. "I thought you'd have photos in here," he murmured to himself.

"I did," Sasuke said from behind him. "Once." He took set down his own pail on the floor. "Let's start. We need to finish early."

And so their cleaning began. It was an immense task, considering how large it was, but hell, he'd done chores like this as a genin before, so it shouldn't be problem for them. The first thing Naruto did was open the windows to let the warm morning sun into the house. He briefly wondered how long the house had been in darkness, and if sunlight was enough to chase it away. _It has to be, for now,_ Naruto thought.

Sasuke was quiet during the cleaning, sometimes stopping abruptly to stare into space or some random furniture. Naruto didn't say anything, figuring it was best to leave Sasuke alone in this matter. It would be good therapy for the Uchiha, he supposed.

When it was all over, Naruto flung himself on Sasuke's bed. Lifting his sweat-soaked shirt, he took a quick sniff and gagged. "Geh. I smell like a wet dog. I'm getting a shower when we get home." He turned to Sasuke, who had sat beside him, a haunted look in his eyes as he studied the newly-cleaned room.

"It's a good house," Naruto finally said, staring at the ceiling. "Big spaces, strong walls, and clean floors. Hikaru would have a big place to play in." He didn't mention Hisoka. It hurt too much even to think of her. He looked at Sasuke, and said quietly, "It's a good place to make new memories, too."

Sasuke's lips twitched into a small smile, his first since Hisoka disappeared, his dark eyes unreadable. He lay on his back on the bed, rested his head against Naruto's shoulder and murmured, "Maybe it is. Someday…"

**T.B.C.**

**Author's note: **Hah! Finished this long, long chapter! Un-beta'd for now, will post beta'd chapter as soon as I get it from Chibi-onna. Was anyone OOC? Please tell me!

Very difficult chapter to write, with all the emotions going on. As some of you may have noticed, this chapter is almost all in Sasuke's POV. This chapter, however, does not mean everything is resolved, they're just choosing to move on, one step at a time.

**Naruto:** Well, in the end, he made a choice, and he chose Hikaru. Kind of sad for Hisoka, but you could see the logic.

**Sasuke:** I hope this explains much of Sasuke's behavior with Hikaru. He's just in a lot of pain right now. While he may seem to be cruel, Sasuke's just overwhelmed with a lot of things–guilt, anger, sadness, and most of all, fear. Naruto's the only thing that kept him grounded. Well, and Hisoka, but she's gone.

**The Scroll:** Well, I explained a bit about it. I'm sure you've guessed who Jiraiya's student was.

Comments and Criticisms are welcome and appreciated.


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